


Arts Topic: Nudity

by AnorielThiliedis



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Bad!Angel, Bad!Gray Fullbuster, Bad!Natsu Dagneel, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Nudity, Past Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-21 13:38:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 91,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11945382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnorielThiliedis/pseuds/AnorielThiliedis
Summary: AU. She was a quiet young woman who preferred to stay alienated. That is, until she was put into a project together with the most handsome and desired man from her faculty and was forced to model for each other... naked. Now, Lucy's forced to face her demons and trauma from the past as she slowly falls in love with her sexy partner who does everything to make her fall for him. Involves drama with jealous Angel, family issues, referenced rape, sexual content. Rating will go up. // Edited and changed for more graphic and explicit than the original version on FF.





	1. The project

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Fairy Tail, but the storyline is fully mine. I make no money on writing the story.  
> Enjoy!

**ARTS TOPIC: NUDITY**

**CHAPTER I**

* * *

 

Her name was Lucy Heartfilia. She was perceived as a rather quiet woman of 21. She was also known for wearing glasses and absolutely always dressing in loose clothes which probably were making her look as if she weighted ten kilograms more than in reality—it was no secret she did not care about her appearance too much. The people from the same year at university did not know her too well; she avoided making friends and never exchanged more than several words with others. However, they never appeared to really care, bothered with their own lives and colleagues.

In reality, it was not that Lucy was mean or wanted to remain lonely. She was amicable and kind, but only outsiders knew about it. Yet, she chose staying on the side. She already had friends outside of the faculty and, to her, they were enough. Moreover, the blonde was terrified of repeating the events from high school… Which made her the person she was now.

As to the university, she was attending drawing in the Department of Arts and Art History. She always enjoyed drawing and was quite skilled, but had never actually thought that she would end up studying the thing. To her greatest amazement, Lucy made it through the entrance exams with her folder. Thus, extremely content and excited, she entered the University.

Among the students, there was no one she had known before. Most of her friends had chosen Medicine or Physics, only her best friend, Levy McGarden, attended Journalism. Still, she did not mind. She chose the university in another town, far away from her old life and experiences. Naturally, her current colleagues were from rival high schools or other towns. It only added to her disinterest in getting to know them.

And so time passed by for Lucy, who was constantly alone and hiding away with her social nature. She dexterously ignored and omitted any chances she was given to integrate with the group and never appeared on any meetings. But no one seemed to care nor intend to catch her attention… Until one day.

* * *

 

The lecturer, Reedus, waited for silence to fall between the students. He was a patient teacher, he understood that young people mostly wanted to have fun. Consequently, he was respected and everyone liked his classes. Thus, as usual, after two more minutes, the students turned quiet and sat down in their assigned desks.

“Alright, people.” Reedus exclaimed and smiled, rubbing his hands together. “We’re about to start a very interesting project. Very interesting, indeed, and I think you’ll simply _love_ it.”

He looked around the classroom with content; it was full of fascinated faces. He chuckled and clapped a few times. That was what he had expected of them.

“So! I’ll pair you up and each pair will draw a chit with a topic of their work. I want two detailed and modulated pencil pieces, half of the natural size. The draw will take place at the end of the class, you’ll come to my desk in pairs and take one card. Since I know that many things could happen, you’ll have this semester to finish it. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Good. So, let’s see…” The lecturer put his glasses on and started to read the names of the students. Lucy was sitting with her head turned to the windows, gazing out and barely listening to the Professor. She was wondering what was the purpose of the project—and why she could not do it alone, as always… “—and Lucy Heartfilia.”

She budged and shifted her sight at the lecturer, having the decency to look ashamed of her previous lack of attention. “Sorry?”

“I said that you’re paired up with Sting Eucliffe.”

Lucy nodded and her eyes wandered to the man who was sitting across the room, currently looking at her. When their sights met, he smirked and winked at her. She raised a brow and bobbed her head at him, then quickly returned to gazing outside of the building, trying to ignore the jealous stares of other girls.

 _Sting Eucliffe_ … For all she knew, he was feisty, popular, funny, and attractive. Objectively, yeah. Undeniably. Yet, she had no idea _who_ he _was_ ; about him as a person. How could she, after all? Lucy appeared to be an antisocial figure to others and she herself knew no one aside from rumors and gossips she had heard in the canteen.

Well, she was not antisocial. And she was about to be forced to prove it.

Lucy scowled. It was something which made her a little nauseous; nonetheless, she refused to let the fear reach her and make her unwell. No one was forcing her to become friends with her partner… It was supposed to be just a project. Nothing less, nothing more.

Consoled, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

She could do that.

Therefore, at the end of the lesson, when Reedus reminded them of the drawing, Lucy stood up and went to stand in the line; not even two seconds passed before Sting Eucliffe joined her with a cheeky smile on his face and his hands in the pockets.

“Hi, so we’re put together, eh? I’m pretty sure we haven’t met yet, have we?”

Lucy turned to the man, eyeing his friendly face. Act naturally, she thought.

“No, I don’t think so.” The blonde answered, half smiling. “I’m Lucy.”

“Sting.” He shook her hand and grinned wider. “I’m looking forward to our cooperation.”

“Yeah, me too…”

“Say, how’s it that you’re always… Um, beside? I mean… Not that I stalk you, but I haven’t really seen you with anyone, you know.” Sting asked bluntly, not able to hide interest.

 _Nosy_.

“Well. I don’t really want to get…” Lucy paused to pick the right word. “Involved.”

She wanted to avert her sight, but knew it was important to maintain eye contact. Without a word, Sting scrutinized her and only then opened his mouth to comment on that, but was cut in short by the Professor who cleared his throat. Apparently, it was their turn to pick a chit. Having turned to the lecturer, Lucy noticed several cards laying in disorder on the desk. She glanced at her pair, who nodded and encouraged her to get one. So, she raised one paper with a trembling hand; yet, it was taken by the Professor even before any of the blondes could see it.

“Ah! What a pick. I must say you must be the best, I repeat, the very best to do this. I was hoping that you two would get it, though…” Reedus chuckled and dramatically turned the card with a bold, centered text to them. Both Lucy and Sting leaned ahead to read one word written on it: **_Nudity_**. “Congratulations. Good, very good that the two of my best students got this. I just know you won’t fail me.”

Reedus kept rambling, oblivious to the fact that Heartfilia was completely stunned; she did not move nor said anything. She just… Stood there, deaf to the words. Finally, Sting cleared his throat and caught her elbow, answering the Professor and leading her to the side.

“You okay?”

Hesitantly, Lucy nodded, coming out of the daze. “Yeah… Just, uh, I don’t know, I didn’t expect it.”

“Neither did I.” He laughed. “But, hey, we can do it.”

She sent him a doubting look. He could, she was sure of that. He was not at all bothered to have drawn such a topic. But her…? Well, she guessed she just had to be extremely professional about it and that was it. Even though exposing herself totally to him was a difficult task. Difficult and mortifying. She should have never been submitted to that. She should have opposed to that right away…

But she was and did not.

“Of course we can.” She replied dismissively. “Okay, I need to go. So, er, see you, I guess?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Sting winked. “We’ll be in touch.”

Lucy smiled half-heartedly for the last time and turned around, walking away. She went down to the cloakroom and grabbed her coat. Then, hiding her hair under a hat and entangling a scarf around her neck, along with half of her face, she sighed. She sure had something to think about…

The girl went out into the cold air of early winter. She hated the cold, but enjoyed wrapping herself in all those things. They were able to cover her features. She got used to being hidden. So how would she stand anyone seeing her completely naked—so vulnerable, so uncovered? Damn…

“Stay professional.” She told herself from under the scarf. With that, she sat on the bench among people, waiting for a bus.

But it was not arriving. Lucy was always quick to get there so that she could avoid riding with people from her faculty; nevertheless, today it seemed that she would have to endure it. If they were to recognize the wool monster she had become, that was.

Soon enough, she found she was right. A group of people consisting of four giggling girls and three guys, Sting Eucliffe in that, stopped near her at the bus stop. Lucy quickly looked the other way, not in the mood to talk to them. She did not want to hear jibes from the women, nor was she willing to talk to her partner so soon. Still, the awareness of that they were there was too much and she ended up throwing systematical glances at the group. Moreover, she was well capable of hearing their conversation—not that they were speaking quietly.

“I mean, really, Carl is nice, but we’ve drawn a topic of Native Americans. I can’t imagine him in those clothes, half naked…”

“Yeah, well, I’m working with Ryos.” Another girl exclaimed and threw her hands around the arm of a guy standing next to her. “And we’ve got Burlesque.”

“What are those topics?” The second man spat. “Me and Marion have… Um, I think it was something about Beach…”

They all laughed. Finally, a girl with white hair jabbed Sting with her finger and asked in a fake-nice voice.

“Sting, you’re so quiet… What are you thinking about?”

The man, who was deep in thought, budged and looked around his friends. He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Ah, sorry, I tuned out.”

“Anyway, what is your topic?”

“You know, I think every girl’s envious of that Lucy… She’s got to work with you.” The woman hanging on Ryos commented with a smirk.

“Um… We’ve got Nudity.” He replied.

His friends goggled at him. “What?!”

“Reedus must have some kind of fetish… Maybe he’s masturbating to his students’ works?” Ryos questioned and they all laughed.

Yet, the topic was not over. The same white-haired woman asked Sting: “Nudity… but it’s all about sexiness, right? And that girl… Why do you think she wears loose?”

“Maybe she’s chubby.” The other woman wandered.

“Exactly; you think she can do it? Besides, what’s the point if…”

“Stop it.” Eucliffe hissed, looking dispraising. “How can you say that about anyone? You don’t even know her. And it’s not about attraction, but professionalism.”

“Ouch.” She laughed. “Yeah, right. You’ll see.”

Lucy, who heard every word and was now shamelessly staring at them, averted her sight. She felt rather offended by the white-haired colleague’s words. Sting was right, she had no idea about her. But, on the other hand, neither did he. Yet, he defended her…

Suddenly, she started up upon seeing her bus. She wanted to escape. And that was what Lucy was about to do.

Thus, when the vehicle came, she jumped inside and sheltered herself in the farthest corner, not removing her hat nor the scarf. The blonde gazed around, trying to spot the group in the bus, but failed to do so. She glimpsed outside and saw them still standing there.

Nonetheless, the thing that caught her attention were Sting Eucliffe’s bright blue eyes glued to her through the window, as if he knew it was her. And that she had heard them. Lucy blushed, but at the same moment the bus driver closed the door and took off, breaking the unexpected eye contact between Lucy and Sting.

* * *

 

Half an hour later, Heartfilia arrived home. She quickly took off her sweater and tossed it away, then shimmied out of her trousers, stretching. She hated those clothes. Truly, madly, deeply. But still chose to wear them in public. They were her shelter. Safety area. And she wanted it to stay that way… That way, she was not exposed to staring or even socializing with strangers.

Which did not change the fact that, after the university hours, Lucy was throwing them away and changing into what she had been wearing regularly until some time ago: tight jeans or shorts, clingy shirts and tops, miniskirts. That was what she loved and what expressed her. But she could not provoke the events that had taken place t the end of her high school…

She shook her head. She would not be thinking about it. She refused to.

Instead, Lucy grabbed her phone and wrote her best friend, Levy, with whom she made an appointment for the evening. Since the woman was in her former town, she asked her to get on Skype to make the talking easier.

At seven, they were already connected.

“Lu, you’re looking great, you sexy beast.” Levy exclaimed with a grin.

“Yeah, for now. I’ve just taken off those pathetic baggy clothes.” She sighed. “You know how I hate them.”

“Then stop wearing them already. All the people, uh, involved are far away. Out. Finished. So why are you still…?”

“Ah, just a habit now.” Lucy shook her head, hiding her uneasiness at the thought. “Anyway, tell me, how’re you?”

They talked about some usual stuff, then the blonde told Levy about the project she had been assigned to—and who was to be her partner. Every little detail was absorbed by the bluenette, who seemed rather worried. Finally, she sighed.

“Lu… You know, the situation’s not that easy. I wish you wanted to socialize with those people…”

“I’m gonna socialize with that guy. I have no other choice. I ain’t gonna pretend that I’m someone else when I’m not.”

“You’ll be forced to spend much time together. He’s gonna see right through you.” Levy warned her. “Watch out. And, the most important thing. Try not to fall in love with the guy. I mean it. I know you all too well.”

“But, Levy—”

“No. I don’t want you hurt again. You’ll either end up really happy or shattered. I don’t want you taking that risk.”

Lucy tapped a finger on her chin, then admitted quietly. “I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of everything. Him. Of the project. Of the nudity. Vulnerability.”

“Lucy.” Levy got closer to the screen and said clearly and loudly. “Just because you’ll jump out of your clothes doesn’t mean that you’re inviting him. It’s only a project. Furthermore, the nudity is the first step for you to get rid of the baggy clothes for good. And vulnerability? Who the hell expects you to share something with him?”

Lucy knew Levy was right, but refused to admit to it. Instead, she changed the topic.

“Definitely not the girl with white hair.” The blonde laughed. “I think her name’s Angel.”

“It’s just one letter differing from ‘anger’.” Murmured McGarden. “Anyway. When do you start?”

“Not sure yet. Soon. We’ve got the whole semester, but then it’s not that long. He expects two fully detailed and half-real sized drawings, that’s not easily made.” Lucy mused. “I guess I must explain. If we were to meet every day, it’d still take at least a month for one project, I suppose. But we’re not professionals and I think it’s gonna double, if not triple in time since we wouldn’t be able to pose more than half an hour per session. Maybe less, maybe more. Plus getting the pose, undressing and dressing back up, and probably some meetings discussing the drawings… Well, we’re gonna spend much time together.”

“Wow. Then I’m almost sure that you’ll fall for him.”

“Of course not!”

“Then maybe his bare ass will convince you?”

Lucy scowled. “Shut up.”

“But you will show me the drawing, right?” The bluenette smirked coarsely.

Suddenly, the blonde's phone beeped. Lucy excused her friend and grabbed it. She read the notification and stared. Someone wrote to her on Facebook, and not just anyone. Much to Levy’s amusement, she widened her eyes.

“What is it?” Levy asked with a grin. Her mirth only grew when her friend blanched and gulped.

“It’s him… He’s asking about a meeting to go into details and talk about the project.” Heartfilia replied with a weak voice. “Wait, I’m getting on Facebook to answer. But stay with me, we’ll be commenting that.”

“Sure.” She laughed.

Lucy quickly opened the browser and the page she was looking for. Next, she froze with her hands above the keyboard.

“What again?” Lave tried not to burst out laughing.

“Um… What do I write?”

“Just reply?”

“O-oh. Okay.” Lucy sighed and did as told. “I said that sure, I think it’s a good idea.”

“Lu, you really must be between people more. You’re starting to behave like a social cripple.”

“I know. But I can’t help it, I don’t usually use the portal, and—” She moaned and then the chat went blue. “Oh, the answer. Um, let’s see… He says he could meet me this Saturday in a café downtown.”

“Go. And if you wear that hideous sweater laying behind you, I’ll kill you.” Levy smirked.

“Come on. It’s just a casual meeting.”

“For now. Besides, you’re going to pose naked in front of him. The poor guy doesn’t know what’s coming, you’ll give him a heart attack. With your rack… Prepare him somehow. And, hmm… You know, maybe I’ll come there, too. I wanna check him out.”

“NO!” Lucy yelled and jumped in place. “Don’t do this to me!”

Levy laughed mercilessly. “Fine. But no baggy sweaters.”

Lucy nodded at last and wrote to Sting that she was in. She waited patiently for reply just to see that he asked for her number, pointing out that it was better to be in contact since something may happen. She smiled and typed her own number, agreeing with him. “Got his number.”

“You’re moving quickly. What’s next, his pants?” Levy grinned and Lucy was unhappy that she was on the other side of the computer; otherwise, she would have hit her.

“Okay, gotta go, you crude. And please, don’t talk crap.”

“Yeah. So, I’ll hear from you this Saturday evening?”

“You wish.” Lucy spat and turned off the conversation.


	2. The meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The edited and enhanced Chapter 2 is here! Enjoy!

Despite an annoying feeling of anxiousness, Lucy noted that nothing changed when she came for her classes the next day. Few people greeted her and she answered to even fewer. All she wanted to do there was study and her attitude was only emphasizing it.

Apparently though, not everyone wanted it to stay that way. During the third period Lucy was buying water in an automat downstairs and she was suddenly tapped on a shoulder lightly. With widened eyes, she turned around and found herself in front of a grinning Sting Eucliffe.

“Hello.” He said friendly.

“Hi.” She answered, wondering if he would turn into her nemesis soon.

“Sup?”

“Oh, I’m fine, thanks. You?”

“Too. Just a little tired.” He chuckled.

Lucy gazed at him with question, not sure what he wanted from her. Hell, he approached her in the middle of the uni! But seeing he was not catching on, she let it form on her lips. “Um, did you want something? You talked to me so suddenly…”

“Um, no, not really.” Even if he was surprised, he hid it well. Sting scratched the back of his neck and smiled. “I just saw you walking and wanted to say hello. That’s all.”

She felt her mouth move, but nothing came out. Feeling a little startled, she smiled slightly. “I-I see… Thank you.”

He nodded. “Gotta go. So, see you on Saturday?”

“Yeah, see you, Sting.”

The man waved at her and returned to his friends, popping in the conversation like he had not left it at all. Lucy watched him for a moment before she headed to her next classroom. What was that? He made her feel a little important… Like she existed, not just moved as a shadow or a ghost. It felt pretty nice, actually, to be acknowledged.

She stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor.

She was considering socializing again? What did it mean? Did it mean she was ready to move on? To live a normal life again…?

So maybe she could become a living person once again? It seemed a little surreal… even though it was her who had spurned everyone and everything? And now she got involved into such a daring project, may it be that it was all a sign that it was time? What was more, Lucy knew that Levy was right about everything, she _did_ act like a social cripple, but she needed time to change it all, change herself—if any of that.

Did she want it? Really?

Her inner devils were in denial. And she herself was not sure anymore.

* * *

 

Lucy was sitting in front of a tall mirror. It was smooth and clean, perfectly reflecting the vision. It had been a while since she had used it. She was clad only in her lace underwear, seated on a chair with pinned up hair and no makeup. She got rid of the glasses, not willing to diverge the view in any way. Her deep brown eyes were sliding along her shoulders with slow but fluent moves of the orbs, inspecting them. The woman shifted, trying another pose to see which looked more natural on her body. She averted her sight then only to move on her chest, belly, hips, thighs, knees, calves, feet. She sighed; there was no point in complaining about her figure; it was a perfect shape of a sandglass, full curves hard to miss. She had an amazing shape and she knew it. All too well.

After a long while, she moved. Lucy raised to her feet and turned her side to the mirror. She gently caught one of the shoulder straps and unhurriedly pulled it down. Her intense gaze never faltered. Leaning slightly forward, she reached back and unclasped the bra, letting it fall to her toes after wiggling out of it. She sighed when she felt her bosom free of the fabric’s firm grasp, tickling when falling. Speaking of which, her bra had left a red imprint. That would not be good for the drawing. Either she had to roam around without any bra on or wait a while before posing.

But she imagined Sting would not have any problem with her nudity would she tell him about it.

Heartfilia wondered what pose would she be forced to take. Which reminded her that she should be thinking about Sting’s pose, because she was the one to choose one and then draw it.

But first, before she did anything else, before the man saw her, she had to get used to her own body. Anew.

So she touched her collar bones and sighed shakily. They were pointy, but still sensitive on her. Later, she scratched her chest with her fingernails, the goosebumps erupting from under them. Her hands embraced her breasts from under the mounds and brushed the nipples with her thumbs, hardening them slightly. Her fingers crept on the rib cage and then on the waist. She smirked. Still extremely small, she had to admit. Lucy was not a typical one-sized woman; like every sandglass, her hips and bust were much bigger than her slim, wasp-like waist.

She reached the halfway of the experience. She could do it… Thus, she passed to the last piece of clothing she had on—the panties. Doubts filled her mind, yet, she knew she had to finish it. Thus, her fingers slipped under the fabric on her hipbones and slid her hands down along with the material. She was breathing erratically, but tried to not think about her experiences so far… _I am the one undressing myself. It’s slow. No need to panic._ The woman managed to convince herself of that and let the underwear fall around her ankles. Until then she did not allow herself to straighten and scrutinize her sex, shaking slightly. She did not touch herself, though, only brushed her fingers delicately along her ass to examine the curve of her buttock.

The project involved nudity. Not the touching, though. There was no need for it, no question left in the matter; she would not allow it, at any cost. Considering her troubled mind, she preferred to worry over it at the moment, not in front of her partner. _Oh God, Sting_ … Still, she was terrified of him seeing her. She had not had a man take a better look at her in clothes for the last three years. It was insane, it was a step into the fire pit and she could not help it.

Trying hard to accept her fate, Lucy spent some time in front of the mirror, changing positions, looking at her mimics, her body responding, imagining Sting’s bright eyes scrutinizing her to take measure and form perspective, trying to cover as much of herself as possible with no attire. Finally, with a defeated sigh, she left the mirror and went to take a long and relaxing bath.

* * *

 

Saturday came with abnormal speed to her. From the moment she got up she was rather nervous, jumping on every sound. In spite of being aware that it was not anything more but a simple, detail-making meeting, she felt a little preoccupied. Also a bit excited. After all! It had been a while since she had gone out with anyone. Her friends were a hundred kilometers away and, if they _had_ bothered to come to visit her, they always busy with their studies and were spending most of the time at her apartment rather than anywhere else.

True to her word, Lucy did not put the stretched sweater on, but neither did she dare to wear something more clingy; instead, she settled for a little less loose trousers and a sweatshirt. Having dealt with the most difficult part for now, the woman grabbed a notebook and a wallet, then left the flat. Locking the door, she hummed along with the song on her iPod to relieve stress.

She ran down the stairs and nodded in approval when she saw the weather. It wasn’t windy and the sun was shining—it was pretty livable, a good sign.

Lucy was taking long steps, enjoying the walk. Soon enough, she reached the café they were settled at; checking her phone to reread the message with the name to make sure she was in the right place, a message from Sting came. He said that due to the blocked roads he would be there five minutes late. Nodding to herself, she entered the café and sat at a table next to a window, fully intending to stare at the passing people. Instantly, a smiling waitress came to her and asked for her order. In reply, Lucy smiled brightly at her.

“Cafe Latte, please. Umm, maybe with almond syrup?”

“Of course! That’s my personal favorite as well.” The waitress answered. “And anything to eat?”

“Oh, no, thanks.”

“Alright. But if you want anything, just call me.” The woman nodded. Lucy smiled and tilted her head gracefully. “Aw! You’re such a well-mannered and sweet girl!”

“Thank you…” Lucy blushed a little and took off her bothersome glasses, then transferred her eyes on the other woman. “Oh, and there will be someone joining me.”

“Oh, a date?”

“No!” She quickly denied and laughed uncomfortably. “Do I look like I’m ready for one?”

The waitress eyed her critically and shook her head with a snort. “Definitely not.”

“See?” Lucy grinned and wanted to put the glasses back on, but the woman caught her hand. She looked up at her with question. “What is it?”

“Don’t wear those. You look so much more beautiful without the glasses!”

The blonde smiled, a little bitterly, but the waitress seemed not to notice. She took her leave soon, leaving Lucy pondering, playing with the glasses in her hands. That was what she wanted to avoid. Looking nice…

“Yo. Sorry for being late.” Suddenly, Sting’s voice reached her ears and she gazed up with a smile.

“No problem, I didn’t get bored.”

“Right, always alone.” He rolled his eyes and took a seat in front of her.

Lucy frowned. “Actually, I wasn’t…”

“Here you are, sweetheart!” At that moment, the waitress came back with her coffee. Lucy grinned and thanked her, but the woman was looking at her companion. “Oh, already here? Then what do I get for you, young man?”

“Um, maybe an Americano?”

“Good choice.” She smiled and turned back to Lucy, first eyeing her sweatshirt with reproach, then saying cheerfully. “If you wanna talk some more, then you’re always welcome. Ah, and seriously, don’t put the glasses back on.”

Heartfilia pouted and crossed her arms, making the sweatshirt look like it was flooding her. She missed a scrutinizing look that Sting threw at her. “Thanks, I guess?” Finally, she laughed. “But I need to get back home somehow, so the glasses will get back on my nose later on.”

The women winked at each other and the waitress disappeared, leaving the blondes alone. Lucy glimpsed at Sting and found him staring.

“Y-yes? Is there something on my face?”

“The opposite, I’d say.” He stated, amused. Seeing her shaking head, he added. “And she’s right, don’t put the glasses back on. It’s completely… Um, different? I knew that something was off when I saw you.”

“Geez, thanks.” She rolled her eyes half-heartedly. “I’m not sure if I should actually consider it a compliment or not. Something’s _off_ , honestly…”

“Right, you’re not used to my… Um, I’m…” Sting wanted to apologize, but, seeing her playful expression, he realized it was a joke and chuckled. She grinned. “Hey! You got me there.”

The waitress chose a perfect moment to bring him his Americano, then wished them a good meeting and went back to the staff room room.

“Who would’ve known you’re such a joker.” He commented, stirring some sugar into his coffee.

“I know, I seem as stiff as a board at the university…” Lucy grimaced. “Well, but we’re not here to discuss it.”

“You know,” Sting braced himself on his elbows, leaning slightly forward. “I think I’ll have fun figuring you out during this project.”

“You can try.” She tapped one finger on her cheek, pretending to think. “But I’m not gonna make anything easy for you.”

“Oh, I’ll handle that. After all, I’m great at challenges!” Eucliffe said proudly.

“Challenge accepted, then.”

“Deal.” He agreed quickly and she laughed.

“Anyway. Let’s _deal_ with the project details, we can waste some time later.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. It’s Saturday.” Eucliffe leaned back on his chair, smirking.

“Me neither.”

“But you’re right. Let’s get this done and then spend time more productively.” He cleared his throat and pulled out a paper sheet with a schedule. “Let’s compare our schedules and decide what the days we’ll be meeting up.”

Lucy took out hers and put it on the table, at the same time inspecting the man’s paper. “Okay. We both have free Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, plus Fridays and weekends off.”

“Yup. So we can meet on one or two of those. Occasionally, some weekends, too. I doubt that we’ll move on with the work fast enough to avoid it.” Sting sighed.

“Agreed.”

“So, er, who poses first?” He shifted his sight at her and Lucy returned the gaze quite proudly—she hoped.

“W-well, if you prefer it like that, I can be the first… Gosh, it sounds _so_ wrong.” She chuckled.

“So eager to undress?” He grinned and cocked a brow suggestively. “I can’t say I’m not eager to see—“

“What? No! I just…”

“Chill. I don’t know how to react to that either.” Sting ruffled his hair in embarrassment. “Although I can’t say I have something to be ashamed of… Don’t make such a face, you’ll see yourself in some time. Okay. So how about taking turns?”

“Like, one poses one day and the other on another? Or the first one, then the second?” Lucy asked, flustered. She chose to pretend that she had not heard the part about him boasting about his lack of shame. It gave her mind images she wanted to avoid having.

“Either way’s good. And about the place…”

“We can meet in my flat. It has a well-suited room. Plus, I’m living alone, so we won’t disturb anyone.”

“That’s great. I live with Rogue…”

“Who?” Lucy asked before she could bite her tongue.

“Ryos. From our faculty.” Sting replied. “He asked me to call him that. Well, no wonder, we’re best friends, after all… Anyway, when he’d be out, we’re free to come over and do the project there.”

“Maybe you could arrange a schedule, too, when he’s out and when not. That way we could set ours.”

“Hey, that’s actually a good idea.” The man nodded and smiled. “I’ll talk to him today.”

“Great.”

“Although the room we’ll be working in will be closed, so even if he chose to stay, we’ll have more than enough room to work on out project.”

“I wouldn’t be… comfortable.” She grimaced and Sting nodded in understanding.

“So! I say we start this Tuesday.” He made an expression like it all had been settled and leaned back, tossing the sheet back into his pocket. “So, Lucy. Time to pester you a little, so pray tell. Why are you always avoiding others? I’ve been watching you for the last few days… And it seemed strange to me.”

“Stalker much?” She shook her head with a smirk. “Actually, it’s not that I’m avoiding them. I rather choose not to butt in and make trouble.”

“How is talking to colleagues equal to making trouble?” Sting furrowed his brows. She knew he was smart, so just any excuse was not an option here. She stared at him for a moment before she said slowly, looking away from him.

“Let’s just say that I had… A very bruising event in the past. And I’m trying not to make the same mistakes.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He mumbled, abashed. “Still, a little bit of conversation…”

“Sting. I’ve learned that ‘the evil that men do lives after them’, and no, I’m not talking about the ones who did it.” Lucy laughed shortly, coldly, observing the opposite wall. “I’d rather not invite it over again.”

“Shakespeare.” Lucy’s head snapped towards him in surprise. She did not expect him to know the quotation she used, nor to add: “ _Julius Caesar_ , I believe?”

“Exactly…”

The man watched her for a moment, then half-smiled.

“Does it mean that you don’t sense _evil_ in me?”

“No, it’s not that.” She denied softly and sighed. “I didn’t choose to approach you. I’d say that the interference happened out of necessity. And you must admit that you wouldn’t come to me without a stimulus from Reedus.”

Even though he wanted to deny it, Eucliffe knew she was right. “You’re smart.”

“Happens to me.” Lucy tilted her head and added. “So are you.”

They both smiled at each other and took a sip of their coffee.

“Tell me, about your group, you were all together in high school?” Asked Lucy, curious. “You seem to know each other so well and I’ve been wondering for a while…”

“Um, yes and no. I attended one high school with Yukino, Rogue, and three other people. The rest is from Oration Seis and Blue Pegasus.”

“Oh, I see. Huh, I’m totally alienated now.”

“Why is that?” Sting made a curious expression.

“Because I’m the only one from Fairy Tail in Magnolia.” She explained and giggled at the sight of his face. “See? I knew you’d react like that.”

“I’m surprised, that’s all.” He admitted. “Then what are you doing here?”

“Huh?”

“Since no one you knew was going here…”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lucy frowned. “I’m interested in arts. They chose something else. So what, I should’ve gone with them because I should’ve been scared of lack of company?”

“Well…”

“Do you want to tell me you did that?!”

“No, not me.” Sting sighed, then added rather arrogantly: “Why would _I_ adjust to others? I wanted to attend drawing. But a few people… Just to stay together.”

“But what’s the point of studying something you don’t enjoy?” She pointed out and he agreed with her.

“Exactly. But what can I do?” He spread out his arms and laughed. “Then what did they all take? Your friends?”

“Mostly Medicine.” Lucy groaned. “Imagine, they’re so busy we rarely see each other. Oh, one of my friends went to study Journalism, though. She’s good at that.”

“Pretty diverse.” He noticed and smiled. “How come you chose drawing, then?”

“Well. I love it.” Lucy pondered, squinting her eyes a little. “I can express myself. And I feel it’s my cup of tea.”

“Nice.”

“How about you?”

“Me?” Sting seemed taken aback by receiving that question. Lucy raised her brows, catching that without any problem.

“You seem surprised.”

“It’s just that… No one’s really asked me that question before.” He confessed. “Everyone just…. knew. Like they took it for granted, like it was only natural and they never needed any reason. You see, my father… He was an artist. A painter. He taught me a bit… Thus, after high school, I handed my folder here and I got in.”

“But… Sorry, it’s a little private, but you _do_ love what you’re doing?”

He sent her a long, examining gaze, then replied. “For now, I enjoy it. I thought that I’d learn to love it with time.” Lucy did not appear to be convinced, but let it go. “It’s just like with others wanting to know you because of your relatives, connotations, money, etcetera…”

“Well, I’d rather know you as _you_ , a person, not the idea or material goods. I don’t know nor do I really care about it, sorry.” The line slipped her mouth and it was now too late to take it back. So, she shot him a smile and quickly took a big gulp of her coffee, flushed. Why did she have to be so chatty out of the blue?

“That’s good to know… Thanks!” Sting grinned at her and sighed with relief. “In fact, I’d love that.”

The woman blinked and nodded, abashment disappearing. If anything, she was somewhat amused. Then she had guessed right; he was a kind of victim of his looks and parental fame, too.

“Hey, what would you say if we finished the coffee and went to grab some dinner? I’m starving.” Suddenly, Eucliffe offered and gazed at her, expectant.

Should she agree? After all, she had promised herself that she would not make any new friends—but damn was it a tempting offer. Also, they were rather doomed to become friends; who would not if they were to spend a semester together? Thus, Lucy bobbed her head and smiled brightly.

“Sure. Why not.”


	3. The first session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Thanks for the support! This version of Chapter 3 has some additional content, also, the next chapter will be posted here only, it's not to be found on FF ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Those three days passed quickly. She did not have much time to prepare herself for the first meeting with Sting, even though she was spending every possible moment in front of the mirror. She was not fully fine when it came to undressing yet, but there was a change for the better. As to the changes, there was a revolution at the university, too. She was being greeted by Sting Eucliffe, one of the most popular guys out there, which was met with common surprise. So, sporadically, someone Lucy did not know was telling her hello, to which she was reacting with widened eyes and bobbing her head a little.

What she also noticed—and was not happy about—were the glares that one of the women from Sting’s group, the white-haired Angel was throwing her way whenever no one was looking. Lucy suspected that she liked Sting more than a friend, so she was not shocked with the sudden hostility the whitehead was showing towards her. Fortunately, they did not have many classes together and she was not overly exposed to the hateful gaze.

The dinner the blondes had been to on Saturday was amazing. It was so much fun! It had been a while since she had had a chance to relax like that. That was the moment she had realized that living in isolation was truly not good for her. Even though her awkwardness was not as big as to scare the man off, she was aware of her damaged social skills. Thus, once she had come back home, she had to change something. She started with a little detail and opted for contacts instead of the glasses. In spite of the fact that she was revealing the whole face to the world, Lucy knew it was the right thing to do and she felt finally _ready_ for that step.

Maybe meeting and working with Sting was that new beginning, the stimulus she needed to understand that.

* * *

 

An hour before the scheduled meeting, Lucy was roaming at home completely nude. She decided that taking her bra off so early would not leave any marks, plus she needed to feel as natural as possible in her own skin. Or at least convince herself of that she felt that way.

The day before, Sting had decided that the first meeting should be held at his place. He had tried to make arguments to that, but Lucy did not really need it. It was fine. Either way. Or rather, it was bothering and disturbing. Either way. She did not care where she would have to take her clothes off. It signified the same level of embarrassment.

Shit, she should start acting like a professional and not think about undressing for a pose like a regular person would. Why was it so hard to do? Besides, she guessed that it took time to get used to the nudity. And, in practice, Reedus had given them props; no one knew what they would do—or paint—in the future.

At last, she put on some loose clothes, grabbed a long robe for later and left her apartment. The man had given her the instructions on how to get over and he had promised that Ryos would not be back until the evening. Of course, she would not stay that long, but Lucy was anxious about him walking on them. She would have enough of the blond man seeing her naked, she did not need another male—and his best friend, no less—to ogle her.

Oh, she did not have any doubts. He _would_ be shocked. Well, surely, she was to blame. She had been hiding herself ever since college started for her. No one really knew what she looked like… And it was about to change. For one person, true, but still.

* * *

 

Pondering, Lucy got on a bus and, after several stops, she got off and went like she had been instructed. Soon, she was standing in front of Sting’s stair. A little shaky, she raised her hand and called number 22 through the intercom.

There was an answer almost immediately.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, it’s Lucy…” Her voice sounded brave, but her whole being was trembling.

“Oh, right. Come on in. Third story.”

Taking a deep breath, Lucy went inside when the door unlocked and spotted an elevator. Huffing, she chose the stairs. It would take longer—besides, those were only three stories. Yet, the choice turned out to be torturous. Each one of the stairs was drawing her closer to her terrible fate, making her more and more nervous. Suddenly, she realized she was staring at the wooden door with number 22 on it. Huh, she probably stopped there subconsciously… Thus, Lucy once more took a deep breath and rang the bell.

Quick steps were heard from the inside and the door swung open, revealing a smiling Sting with messy hair, a green T-shirt, and ripped jeans.

 “Hi. Come in, come in.”

“Thanks.” Lucy smiled, a little apprehensively, then entered the flat. It was painted a nice tone of brown, which made it cozy. Slipping her shoes off, she looked around with interest. Seeing that, Sting cleared his throat.

“Do you want me to show you around?”

“Sure!”

He smiled and took the woman on a tour. Lucy visited the hallway, bathroom, kitchen, living room, Ryos’s room, Sting’s one, and, finally, she was introduced to the final one. It had closed door and she glimpsed at the man curiously.

“Ah.” He grinned. “Here, we’ll be working.”

“I see. So, you have a separate room for arts? That’s amazing.”

“Yeah, actually—”

Yet, before he could finish and then let her in, a loud meow was heard. Lucy budged and looked around. She spotted a red cat there, standing in a safe distance and staring at her intensively. She smiled more genuinely now and went on her knees.

“Aw, look at you! So cute. What’s its name?” The blonde asked, smiling at the cat which decided to approach her.

“Lector. Be careful, because—”

Yet, Sting cut himself off, his jaw hanging open. Apparently, Lector decided to sniff the woman and instantly approved of her. He purred and fawned all over her hands and legs. Lucy giggled and pet the cat, glancing at the man.

“He’s adorable.”

“I’m impressed.” Sting commented, eyebrows still arched. “Lector usually scratches strangers and gets pretty violent… For instance, Angel and Sherry, even though he knows them for so many years.”

“They say that cats can ‘read’ auras and, huh, vibrations of people. I don’t know how it works, but I guess he understood that I only want to pet him…” Lucy said and slid her hand through the fluffy fur. “Okay, sorry. I’m done.”

She stood up and smiled, noting that Sting was also grinning at her. “Shall we?” Upon seeing her nod, he opened the door.

“WOAH!” Lucy gasped, frozen.

She did not even notice that the man was observing her carefully. She was absolutely amazed and fascinated by the room and its design. The walls were painted light brown and light blue, covered in drawings, paintings, imprints of colorful palms, poems… Just everything that counted as art. It was magical and so full of meaning… Also, in a way, extremely private. Lucy gasped when she read one poem on the opposite wall, then eyed a tall painting of a blue character on the other.

“Sting…” She turned around to look at him with widened eyes and an expression of delight. “This is absolutely marvelous. I… Thank you for showing it to me.”

Eucliffe jerked back, amazed. He stared at the woman, trying to form a coherent answer. He had never thought that the room could make such an impression on someone from the outside… A stranger to his life. It was the first time he had ever brought a stranger inside. He was certain no one would understand how important it was to him… And there was Lucy, who seemed to… well, simply get it.

“Thanks… It’s my safe haven. When I’m feeling constructive, happy, or bad… I always come here to clear my mind.”

She tilted her head gently. “I thought so.”

Sting shifted, a tad uncomfortable. Was it him, or she was psychoanalyzing him? He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I think we should get to the project.” He stated, earning a nod. “Good. So, how about I leave you for a while? You change and I’ll prepare tea…”

“Nice idea. So, um, do you mind…?”

“Take your time. You can leave your clothes on the couch. Um, right.” He moved a little uncomfortably and left, closing the door.

Lucy sighed and turned to the couch. The giddiness was back, along with her panicky head. _Just get along with it, breathe._ She took off her loose blouse, staying just in a top. She disposed of it slowly, placing it on the couch. She then stopped and stood still, half naked. The nerves were consuming her from the inside, drying her throat. But she had to do it. She _knew_ it was a necessity, for both the project and her supposed comeback to normality. Besides, Sting appeared to be a person who could be trusted. Obviously, he liked women, she had noticed. But he would not gossip or talk about her with anyone, probably not even his friends. Or so she hoped.

Thus, hesitantly, she unzipped the fly of her overly big trousers and let them fall around her ankles. Stepping out, the woman picked the pants up and placed on the rest of her clothes. Eventually, she shimmied out of her panties and quickly threw a white robe she had taken with herself on her shoulders. Wrapping it around herself and securing it with a belt, she sighed again. More or less, she was ready to let Sting in. At least, she would not parade nude right at the moment of his entrance.

Taking a few calming breaths, Lucy straightened her back and, seeing that the man had not come yet, looked around. She spotted another poem on a wall she had not examined before; however, it was different from all of the others, because it was partly smudged. Lucy bit her lip, then slowly strolled there, her sight glued to the remaining three lines of the inscription. Unexpectedly, the door opened. She came to a halt and turned around fast just to see Sting with a tray and two tea cups and a teakettle. He put it down and eyed the blonde with both hesitance and curiosity.

_Play it cool._

“I brought some tea…” He murmured.

“Thanks.”

“Er… So, what now?”

“I think we should start… So, just sketching today, right? I bet that we won’t even begin the main drawings today, but we can at least make up our minds on the poses and other details.” She said calmly, even though she was freaking out on the inside.

“Fine. Maybe let’s make it like a 15-minutes session today? Just to make a basic sketch and discuss potential changes. I don’t know about you, but I never posed before and I bet it’s pretty damn uncomfortable after some time.” Sting offered and she nodded eagerly. “Alright… Lemme grab a chair… Um, where will you be standing? Or sitting?”

 _That_ calmed her a little. He was just as lost as she… It could not be that bad, could it?

“Sting, it’s you who’s supposed to position me.” Lucy smiled lightly.

“R-right…” Abruptly, he spat. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… it’s completely insane!”

“A little. But, oh well, what one doesn’t do for a good grade?”

The man gazed at her curiously and chuckled. “I guess you’re right. Still, I’m acting like an idiot.”

“Please, I’m also stressed out.”

He nodded, grabbing a sketchbook and a pencil. Next, he took a chair, sat on it comfortably and smirked. “Okay. Your turn. Reveal yourself.”

_Play it cool._

“You really want to see me, eh?” Lucy smiled mischievously, shooting him a conceited glance. _I should get an Oscar for the best acting on Earth_ , she thought to herself.

“Who could blame me? You were hiding your sociability and being fun, plus we all know that you’re wearing overly big clothes and no one knows what’s underneath.”

“Plus you like women. No point in denying.” She spat, teasing him.

“Well, I’m a young man. Isn’t it, like, normal?”

“Jokes aside, I must warn you.” Lucy became serious and bit her lip. “Listen, there is a reason to why I’m hiding away… And no, it’s not that I’m chubby. Or there’s something wrong with me… But! You’ll see anyway, so I’m shutting up already. Just promise me one thing.”

“Hm. Go on.”

“You won’t laugh at me.”

A moment of silence embraced them. Finally, Sting raised his brows, clearly confused. “Why would I?”

“Out of misunderstanding, of course. I told you there’s a reason to my behavior. And I’m asking you to respect that.”

He stared at her before answering in a low, serious tone. “Lucy. Of course. Who do you take me for?”

“Thank you.”

Satisfied, Lucy turned around slowly and undid the belt. She was about to pull the fabric off, but hesitated. She was scared and embarrassed. Okay, at the moment even more ashamed than terrified. Still, she had to do it. So, taking a few deep breaths and trying to still her trembling hands, the material was opened. _Here goes nothing._ She slid the white cloth to the half of her back, then took another several seconds before she let the robe pool down around her feet.

“Holy shit…” Lucy heard his breath hitch as he rasped. In spite of her anxiety, she rolled her eyes. She could practically _feel_ his burning sight ogling her back, waist, bottom, and legs. Oh, she knew exactly what her cursed body looked like. She also knew she could not delay the inevitable forever. Thus, Lucy gathered all of her courage and hurriedly turned around, her eyes nothing but pursed lips and panicking eyes. At the same time, she watched the man’s reaction.

His gaze was much more intense and twice more penetrating than she had expected. It made her head spin and she reminded herself to breathe. Sting was gaping at her, openly ogling her figure, absorbing her curves. He looked completely stunned, focused, and fascinated. His stare, which had not gotten enough of her back, shifted and inspected her chest; unconsciously, he licked his lips. Later, his blue eyes slipped down on her belly, admiring her small waist and an amazing curve of her hips and what was in the middle, covered by dark hair. At last, he passed on her long legs. If only there were _anything_ wrong with her… Anything!

But there was not. And Lucy was well aware of that.

It had been a few minutes before Sting regained his composure and cleared his throat, gazing at her face. Why had he not realized earlier that it was beautiful, too? She had blushed cheeks, full lips, perfect features, thick blond locks, huge brown eyes… Eucliffe gulped and struggled to speak.

“Um… I— I have no—”

“I thought so.” She whispered, not even glancing at him. The focus she was keeping on maintaining calmness was taking all of her attention.

“Fuck. This is just… You are unbelievable.” The man cleared his throat to get rid of the hoarseness. She caught a glimpse of him and shivered, her fears getting the best of her. “What was I…”

“Sting.” Lucy said weakly, a little croakily. “Could you not… Um, ogle me like that? It’s a little scary.”

“So-sorry.” He collected himself and huskily instructed her further. “I think the pose I have for you will be perfect. Take a stool, it’s to your left, and sit on it right where you are now. I don’t want any chair back ruining the view of your shape.”

Not able to help himself, Sting watched his colleague move with grace, a little clumsily due to the fact that she was nude and observed closely by his blue eyes. Subconsciously, he knew he was behaving like a schoolboy and it was far from professionalism, but… But. It was stronger than him. When the woman returned with the stool and sat down, he budged and finally stopped staring at her hungrily. But, damn, she was _so_ desirable!

“First off, I want you to put your hair up.” He stated, trying to sound businesslike.

“Fine. Do you have a string or something? I didn’t think about it.”

“One sec.” Sting stood up swiftly and went to a desk in the corner of the room. He found a string in a drawer and came back to the woman, hesitantly coming closer and passing it to her. “Here you are.”

He observed how her body was moving when she threw her hair back and held her arms up to tie the hair up. There was no way Lucy was not aware of that. “Is it okay?”

“For now, yeah.” He gasped, hypnotized by the moves of her chest. “Very well. Now, er, turn a little to your left. More. Less. Okay! Like that.” Sting had to stop and gulp again. “Lucy, can you move a little on the edge of the stool? Great, thanks. Um. Now, one hand, the left one, you can brace yourself on it. I want it behind, hidden. The second one will go into your hair, like you want to flick your bangs… Or even better, holding it up on the side. Actually, put it however you like… THIS! Yes, keep it up. Now… Take the elbow a little more to the outside… Oh! Perfect.” He smiled.

“I feel stupid.” Lucy admitted insecurely.

“But it looks good. Sexy.”

 _That_ was not comforting.

“I’m not sure if I want Reedus to have a sexy pose of me.” She muttered.

“He won’t. It’s only to show it to him and get a grade, then we’re keeping it in our folder.”

 _Neither do I like the idea of you having it._ “F-fair enough.”

“Now, keep your knees together, but separate your feet as much as possible. And brace your feet on your toes, show some muscles. Higher with the right one, can you? Alright.”

“Should I sit straight like this or slouch a bit?” Lucy asked.

“Now’s perfect. Your shape looks best like this, I think.” Sting replied mechanically, then smirked. “Like I said, no spoiling the image.”

The woman did not reply; instead, she watched him inspect her and the pose he had put her in. She felt definitely too restless for her own comfort, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Not to mention he was probably acting on his own lust, putting her in such a provocative position. Finally, Sting took his sketchbook and started to draw. It was twistedly exciting, to have him watch her that closely. He had to, naturally, to notice all the details. He was observing the refraction of light, where her body was making shadows, any details which could destroy the sketch if overlooked. Out of the blue, Eucliffe frowned.

“Lucy, can you make your nipples hard?”

She goggled at him, too stunned to consider anything else. “What?!”

“It’d look much better. Um, please?”

“Have it your way…” Lucy sighed and reached to one of them with her useless left hand. She made a small circle around it, then squeezed it several times, repeating the action on the other one as well. _Fuck, it looks like pleasuring myself in front of him…_ Apparently, Sting thought the same, because he became very busy with the sketch. Still, it worked; his presence there made her body react strong. “Ready.”

“Oh, okay.”

He looked back at her and stared. Then, he resumed the drawing. Lucy was feeling more than uncomfortable, but prayed that he would not ask more of her… After around fifteen minutes, the man lowered his sketchbook and sighed.

“Okay… So, for the basic sketch, that’s it. And from the next meeting on, I’m starting working on the real thing.”

“So, can I dress up?” Lucy asked with hope and relief.

For a moment, Sting looked like he wanted to say no, but then nodded. Grateful, Lucy bent over the stool and took her robe, then quickly threw it on her arms and wrapped it around herself. She instantly felt better.

“Can I see it?” She asked.

“The sketch? Sure.” He watched her approach him and bow down so that she could see the paper. He shifted. She was close. So close he could smell her perfume. It was pretty nice. Nothing he was used to, but nice. Refreshing. Instead of looking at the drawing, the man was gazing at her, wondering. Suddenly, Lucy smiled and turned her head to him.

“You’re good. It looks very realistic.”

“Well, you’re pretty full; it’s easier to transfer it on paper.” He answered with nonchalance. “But I am also good at that. Thanks.”

“Hey!”

“What? That’s the truth.”

“Anyway…” Heartfilia bit her lip and glanced at the work. “Do you really think it’s good for me to pose like that?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I’ve got a feeling I look like a porn star or something.” She said quietly, but by turning her head away he knew she was not entirely honest.

“I want you that way. I mean, for the drawing. Please, Lucy. I don’t wanna think about the pose all over again.” Sting joked and shifted, raising his hands more in a playful gesture of prayer.

“Oh… Fine, fine.” Out of the sudden, she smirked. By lifting his hands, he revealed his groin and there was no hiding that that he was turned on. “You sure you picked the pose _only_ for the purpose of the project?”

“What the…? Oh, shit!” He grunted and covered himself. “Oh, come on. I’m a man. How can I _not_ get hard when I see _this_?” To illustrate what he meant, Sting drew an hourglass in the air and then pointed at her.

“Well, better get it down since it’s you who’s gonna pose right now.” Lucy grinned happily. The tables had turned and she started enjoying herself now that she was covered.

“C-can you just wait a moment…?”

“Sting. Do you think that I wasn’t turned on when you were ogling me like a—” She cursed, realizing what she had said. “Never mind that.”

“You know, you haven’t exactly helped me with that remark…” Sting complained, then eyed her. “But more importantly: you were?”

“I’m a woman.” She mimicked him and threw her hair back, gazing away. “It’s not unpleasant when a handsome man drools over you.”

He smiled mischievously. “You think I’m handsome.”

“Just repeating a commonly known opinion.”

“Still, I’d rather you had your own opinion.”

“Maybe I do.” Lucy winked at him, flushed. “But you don’t need to know that. Now, excuse me, I’ll get dressed before you jump out of your pants.”

Sting grinned and she stuck out her tongue at him, then grabbed her clothes and left the room. She recalled where was the bathroom and went inside to change.

After closing the door, though, the blonde sighed and grimaced. Yes, it was easy to joke around with that guy. They took it to the extent she did not deem possible at the point. However, she had to put an act on. He could not know that something bad had happened in her past and, because of that, Lucy was forced to behave _normally_. To the outside world. In reality, she was constantly panicking on the inside. She shivered. A good thing was that he had not touched her, or at least intended to do that. She would have lost it if he had… Hopefully, Sting would not turn out to be untrustworthy like… Like someone from her past and would not try to use her. And the situation they were in.

The woman changed fast and returned to the room… Only to find a completely naked man sitting on the couch, clearly comfortable and not one bit startled. Upon seeing her and her expression, he smirked and laughed.

“What, I though you saw a naked man before.”

“I did.” She murmured and cleared her throat. “You just surprised me, is all.”

“Well, I certainly have nothing to be ashamed of.” Sting told her proudly. His self-confidence was rather admirable, but Lucy blushed and rolled her eyes. She stepped ahead, sitting on the chair he had used before. Even if he was right, she had no intention of admitting it. “So, have you thought it over?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure…”

“Try me.”

She shot him a small glare. “I was planning to.” She blinked several times and glanced at him again. “Fine. Change the stool for a chair with enough place to brace your back and arms. You’re gonna need those.”

“What do you have in mind?” Eucliffe wondered out loud and stood up. At first, Lucy wanted to look away, but she made herself eye his body. She would be inspecting him anyway, she told herself. He was muscular, very well built, but not overdoing it. Broad shoulders, narrow hips. His chest was manly haired, plus there was a line of dark hair going South to his naval, which was delicately surrounded by them. Then, they started to thicken on the height of his groin. She almost moaned. His half-hard member was dangling between his thighs, the balls were full. Even for a woman in such a denial and doubts over admiring the opposite sex, she had to admit that  the sight was extremely sexy. And the fact that he preferred not to shave and stay masculine was a huge plus; she had not expected that.

When the man returned to the former stool’s place with a chair and placed it there, he looked at her expectantly. Lucy blinked, blushing, and nodded. “Okay. Better grab a pillow and put it under your back.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“Now, put it on the right armrest and brace your back on it. Um, you should get a bit lower… Alright. Now, the left leg…” She tried to hold the scarlet flooding her face in, but failed miserably. “Hang it over the second armrest.”

“You dirty woman, want everything displayed, eh?” Sting smirked and did as he had been told; his pride pulsated. “Like that?”

“Yeah, like that.” She mumbled, trying so hard to overlook his reactions. “The right leg… either have it extended ahead, off the chair, or brace your foot on the floor so that the leg’s bent.”

“The first option seems better to me.”

“Okay. Er, the arms… Can you hang the left arm over the left knee? And the other…” Lucy hesitated. “M-maybe on the armrest, next to you?”

“Fine. It’s not overly uncomfortable.” He accepted.

“We’ll see after the posing time. If it’ll be too bothersome, we can alternate it a bit. Now, lemme take a sketch.”

She was working in silence, oblivious to the fact that Sting was observing her closely. How she scrutinized his every millimeter, how she was biting her lip and frowning while drawing details, how her blush increased when she got to his genitals. It was such a turn on for him! But he was fighting with the further erection, not wanting her to think he was some creepy, perverted guy. Besides, he was _not._ He had grown out of boyish reactions to female body and their presence when he was naked alright. Right?

He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the moment Lucy huffed and smiled at her sketch.

“Phew! I think that’s it, thanks. You can dress up and see the sketch.”

“Can I see it first?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, come on…”

“Sting, just put some pants on.” She sighed, but a little amused.

“Fine, fine.”

She tried to disregard that he was pulling the jeans on without any underwear. And intended to ignore the fact that he was coming to her shirtless.

“I want to see it now.” Lucy quietly passed him the drawing and watched him ranking his eyes over it. “Good job. You’re not half bad!”

“Geez, thanks. What did you expect, Reedus wouldn’t match partners who would differ much on the skill levels.”

“True.” Sting agreed and then grinned. “This project is be the best I’ve participated in yet.”

“Men and their obsession with bare skin.” She huffed and stood up. She moved to clean the mess, but the man stopped her with a wave of his hand, showing he would deal with it.

“You won’t make me believe that you didn’t enjoy the session, not even a bit. And don’t you think about dismissing the pleasure of being intimate with someone.” Sting chuckled, stretching his back. “Or that you don’t enjoy the touching… The tension. The fire, the release. All that freedom in it!”

 _No, I don’t._ She closed her eyes and pushed her dark thoughts back, overcoming the trembling and fear that started invading her again. At last, she managed to reply quite jokingly.

“But I’m not so bold to chat it over with just anyone!”

“Oh? So there is a possibility of you opening up later on? Y’know, when I stop being _just anyone_?” Eucliffe smirked.

“N-not what I meant and you know it, but I told you… There’s no easy way to do it. And nothing’s certain.”

“Meaning?”

“We are… Oh, we’re partners for a project, and I suppose it _is_ possible we’ll be friends whether we like it or not… But I can’t promise you anything.” She grunted.

“No problem, I love the challenge and I just have a hunch I’m gonna claim the victory.” Sting seemed encouraged. Too encouraged.

“Oh, look! We forgot about the tea.” Lucy pointed out to change the topic, which was more than she desperately needed. “Listen, if you have some ice and fresh fruit, I can make ice tea.”

“Um, hello. You’re talking about the guys’ flat. We don’t do fruit.” He cocked a brow. “But there should be some ice.”

“Well then, cheers.” Lucy stated and took her tea, drinking the whole mug at once. Sting raised his brows, but shook his head and followed suit. Lucy grinned and decided to take her leave. Sting eagerly showed her the way, but she could not help herself and asked: “Hey, how long have you been living with Ryos?”

“It’s been a while, why?”

“Nothing. Just curiosity.” She smiled lightly. “I mean, I was wondering what it’s like to live with someone. My best friend was supposed to move in with me, but she got into another town’s collage, so it didn’t turn out…”

“So, you have, like, real friends.” The man muttered and gazed at her.

“How rude, of course I do!” She sputtered, offended. “Actually, I have a whole pack, but they’re all away… I’ve told you that, haven’t I?”

“Yeah, but it was pretty general. In other words: doubtful.” He shrugged.

“Anyway,” Lucy sent him a silencing look. “I wanted to give an announcement that I have a room for rent. It gets pretty lonely after a while, to be alone all the time… That’s not what I’m used to.”

There, the man frowned and crossed his arms. “Lucy, but it’s you who doesn’t—”

“At the university, yeah. I know. But anywhere else… Please, you see me now.”

Sting nodded slowly and moved to let her dress up. He braced himself on the opposite wall and observed with rapt attention how Lucy bowed down and took her time to put her shoes on, how she flexed to adjust them, and then turned so that her neckline bent so that he was greeted with a nice view of her cleavage.

“Do you want me to walk you to the bus stop?” Sting asked, his voice a little strained. Still, she blamed it on the cold tea.

“No, but thank you.” She smiled brightly. “And thank you for inviting me over and, um, the session?”

“The same goes for you.” He smirked. “So, see you tomorrow at the collage, then at your place?”

“Yeah.”

The blondes bid their goodbyes and Lucy went out without looking back.

* * *

After arriving home, she threw everything on the floor and sighed. There she was again, in her empty apartment. Moreover, she was richer in a new almost-friend, kind of. She was not sure whether that was a good thing, it was all going so fast… But, if it felt right, and it really did, then why the hell not?

Right before going to sleep, she grabbed her phone to set the clock and saw a new message. She smiled; it was from Sting.

_You know, it’s not like I want you to confess everything to me or anything, give me your reasons to that and stuff, but I just wanted to tell you… It’s such a pity that you’re hiding away such a fine piece of ass._

First, she goggled at that, shock battling with amusement; the second emotion won and she chuckled.

_But thanks to that, you were much more interested, weren’t you? What’s the point in showing off in front of everyone? Who would be fascinated by a woman who has everything on sight? No mystery. No fantasies. Nothing!_

The phone beeped, signaling that the message was sent. Lucy closed her eyes. It was crazy, the thing she was doing right then. She was supposed to shut everybody out, for goodness’ sake. Or progress with not doing just that S-L-O-W-L-Y. And there she was, texting on a verge of sexting with one of the most popular guys. And actually doing it like she had been the good ol’ Lucy Heartfilia…

_You have a point, I admit it. But most men would fuck everything that has boobs. No matter if hidden or on the display._

_Well, would you?_

_No… I have my standards._

_My point exactly. Okay, time to sleep. CU2morrow._

_Already? Not going to ask about anything more?_

_Not today. Have nice dreams, Sting._

_Sleep well, and I’ll be dreaming about boobs; you will join me in the dream, I’m sure of it._

_EXCUSE ME???_

_You started it. Night._

Lucy pouted, then berated herself. She should not be fucking sexting with him. Actually, she should not be doing that with anyone. And she definitely was having too much fun doing so.

It would lead to no good. To another bad, bruising situation. And to ending up hurt, that time definitely too much to return to the normal life at all.


	4. Man time alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a special chapter my best friend requested. It doesn't appear in the original story on FF, mainly because it describes the first encounter with Lucy from Sting's perspective... So I feel obliged to WARN YOU: the chapter includes masturbation and heavy swearing. But there are also some serious ideas, I promise ;) so you can just skip the first part if you don't wish to read the steamy part :)  
> Enjoy!~

**Explicit Chapter**

 

* * *

The moment Lucy Heartfilia closed the door, Sting turned on his heel and rushed to the bathroom. He felt hot and bothered, and his cock was beginning to hurt from how much it was erect. He gave himself a stroke through the jeans and moaned loud, releasing some of the tension.

“Holy fucking shit, motherfucker, I am so fucked.”

He had used to think it was a good idea to have her of all people as a partner for posing completely naked. He had expected anything but what she had served him. _Fuck!_ His member jumped excitedly when Sting braced himself on the sink, her shape freshly carved in his mind. He had believed Angel when she implied his partner might be chubby. It would have been better, so much better…

But then she stepped in the middle of his haven and let the robe loosely fall on the floor.

Along with his already crumbling self-control.

He was so fucking _thankful_ she was turned the other way at the beginning, because she would have seen him drooling and his eyes might have popped out. At first, he thought it was unreal. It could not be true! Yet, it fucking was. She was… perfect. Absolutely perfect. He stared at her slim waist and then a curvy, perfectly shaped ass. Her legs were trembling, but they were perfect as well. Slender, long… Delicious. Uh. She was an eyeful.

Before he could lose himself in the view, the woman turned around. Her tits moved lusciously and jingled when she stomped in place, making his mouth water and his cock twitch desperately. Sting had to swallow hard several times before he collected himself enough to look her in the face.

Which struck him with its beauty like nothing before.

During the sketching, he was fighting with further embarrassing himself, although he was pretty sure she did not notice a thing, being preoccupied on her own. Yet, her stunningly blushed face and the position he had chosen did nothing to chase away the images his traitorous mind was serving. Additionally, he had to _ask her_ to tease her own nipples so that they would stand fully awake. If his prick was hard before, it was all the more steel-y now.

When he finished and she dressed, he sighed with relief; maybe now he could chase the erection away before she saw? But, before he could even think about it, she did notice. And laughed it off. Nonetheless, he believed he still shamed himself.

Fortunately, she left to dress up and the man threw his clothes off to quickly jerk off; nonetheless, it seemed it was not his day. Even after finishing the job, he was still quite stiff when she came back—but it was her time to be abashed. He enjoyed himself, although he was really fighting not to have a full erection in front of her. He would not want to scare the bird away so fast.

She finished and he had to wear his pants, which did nothing to hide his member. It was tight and he had to endure it, only till she was gone…

But she chose to drink the tea and then, in his hallway, when she was putting on the shoes… She was bending down, sticking that round, perfect ass high in the air right in front of his face. Sting contained a groan, but he still felt a move in his crotch. _Goddamnit._

She cheerfully said her goodbyes and left.

And now he was there, in the bathroom, desperately pulling his trousers off just to catch his raging dick and pump it furiously. He did not even think about using lube or anything to smooth the sliding of his fist around his delicate shaft, he simply threw his head back and growled in delight, brushing his thumb against his tip.

“Ah, fuck! Yes, suck on it!” He hissed at no one, his head full of images of her and her mouth around him. Would she be good at giving blowjobs? Hell, she had to be! With such an assortment, it would be impossible for her to be nothing but impeccable.

Sting’s legs jerked and he nearly lost his footing before he knelt on the floor and braced his left arm on the closed toilet to hold himself up in the position. His cock was twitching along with his imagination doing wanders, presently showing him her ass and how he would slide into her from the back, taking her roughly and how she would cry in pleasure, pulsating around his dick.

“FUCK, Lucy!” Sting spat when he came, his hand still teasing his own length until he ejaculated. And he did, not caring about where it was landing. His chest was heaving, his head pounding in bliss. He helped his completion out by delivering a few more jerks and collapsed on the floor, bracing his back against the toilet.

When his breath evened, Sting closed his eyes and covered his face in shame. _Shit._ What he did… It was shameful and primal, and far from professionalism. It was what anyone would have expected of a teenager.

Just one problem there. He was not one.

Yet, even though he knew he should, he could not hate himself for it.

It had been _years_ since he had last lost control over his lust and hormones. The last time he had, it was in junior high school. He was a young and stupid lad. Not a man, like he was now. What was wrong with him?!

If anyone had seen him like that…

Suddenly, Sting swore and got up, almost landing back on the floor due to his jeans pulled down to his knees. Yet, he dismissed it and pulled them back up. If Rogue came back soon, he’d be done for. So, slowly, he started cleaning the bathroom, scowling at himself. _Idiot… Gross!_

Nonetheless, he wondered. Why did he react like that?

Either he was frustrated because he had not had sex for such a long time… Or Lucy was the problem. Or rather, she was the cause of his abrupt absurdity.

Which was a huge problem anyway.

Sting sighed. He had to talk to Rogue.

* * *

 

“Eucliffe, what the hell are you doing?”

The man grunted and stirred. Weird, his bed was usually softer than that… and warmer. So, he opened his eyes… to realize he fell asleep on the floor under the bathroom door. He scowled. _Way to go, stud._

“You alright? We’ve been under the same roof for quite some time, but you’ve never done anything like it…” Ryos questioned, frowning.

“I… was tired and I guess just fell asleep.” Sting muttered. “I was cleaning the bathroom, the water splashed all over it. Didn’t want you to slip on the floor and break a leg.”

“You. Cleaning up. This is another anomaly, I’d say.”

“Oh fuck off.”

Ryos shrugged and turned his back to him, intending to walk away.

“Wait, Rogue.”

“I was to fuck off?”

“You can do that after I talk to you.”

Ryos stopped, then slowly turned his head to his friend. “In the bathroom?”

Realizing how ridiculous he must have looked, Sting chuckled. “Nah. Let’s go to the living room.”

The men sat down in silence, which was typical for them. Rogue was known for being taciturn, but also good insight and advice. He was quite perceptive and would not laugh at him… on the long shot.

“Remember our project for Reedus?” Ryos nodded. “So, today I had the first session with Lucy.”

Sting waited for the brunet to say something. He was staring at him intensively, then suddenly blanched.

“Holy fuck, Sting, don’t tell me you fucked her on the first occasion! It’s low even for you!”

“WHAT?!” Eucliffe exclaimed, shocked. “What the hell!”

Cheney shrugged, but he was clearly relieved. “What was I supposed to think, judging by your behavior I assumed the worst.”

“Can I talk, or you’ll just assume everything beforehand?” He snapped.

Ryos’s mouth twitched. “Go on.”

“So, um. She…” Sting took a deep breath and spilled: “It was the most difficult session I’ve ever had. Putting the theme aside, God, Rogue, she’s an eleven.”

“An eleven? I thought the scale was up to ten?”

“Exactly. She’s unbelievably hot. And… I acted like a schoolboy. Got a hard on so bad I had to deal with it when she went out. It was out of control, completely, and I don’t know how to deal with it. Fuck, we’re supposed to work together for the whole semester! _How_ am I supposed to deal with it?!”

“For one, if you repeat _deal with it_ one more time I’ll punch you.” Ryos stated. “Two, we already had a class where we were drawing a naked model. Remember? A year ago… How is it any different?”

Sting snorted. “Mate. This is so different. Completely different.”

The brunet gazed at his friend in ponder, then nodded.

“Explain.”

“Before… oh, how do I explain it? There were everyone. Everyone in the room, at the same time. It was _public_ , there was nothing to overthink. We had limited time to finish it, so you were just focusing on the task and the details, but in a different way: you weren’t trying to memorize them, maybe because there was no time, but to transfer them on the paper. Nothing else was important. Do you see now?”

“No. I still don’t understand.”

The blonde groaned and mused; maybe if he could recall the experience…

“Alright, okay. How do _you_ remember it?”

Ryos frowned, trying to evoke the memory. “The room was bright, there was a platform in the middle… We were sitting around it and drawing a model. But… Huh. I can’t even recall her face. It’s blurred.”

“Exactly.” Sting nodded eagerly, happy to express his thoughts exactly. “And here… We’re alone. It’s extremely intimate. Rogue, when she got naked in that room, man, it was like I was thunderstruck. You know what that room means to me. She formed a part of that. Also, there was the obvious element of surprise. But… I can’t focus solely on the task itself, like we did last year; we have so much time I’m noticing things. The details. Shit, I noticed _her_. Truly. And I’m concerned because _I liked it_.”

The brunet observed his distressed friend with a mixture of amusement and pity; finally, he said:

“I think you’re exaggerating with Heartfilia being that perfect. Maybe you’re just attracted to her because she suits your taste and that’s it? I mean, come on. She can’t be _that_ flawless, she wouldn’t hide like that if she were.”

Sting snorted and shook his head, standing up and disappearing for a moment. Ryos waited patiently and only raised his brows when Sting came back with what he suspected was a sketch.

“I take it she doesn’t know about you showing it to me?”

“Don’t be an idiot, of course not.” Eucliffe rolled his eyes. “Anyway, check her out.”

He observed with satisfaction as the man’s eyes widened to the limits and his mouth fell open. Had it happened any other time, he would have never let it go, but now he was busy grinning triumphantly.

“So?”

“Impossible.”

“Better believe it.” He sighed. “Okay, so what do I do? I don’t want to embarrass myself and that will surely happen the next time I see her. Damn, and here I was thinking I was lucky…”

“Well,” Ryos smirked and glanced at him. “You kinda are. If you tap that ass, you’ll be fully excused.”

“ _Rogue_.”

“Fine, fine.” He shrugged. “But I don’t think you can do anything. If you are physically attracted to the woman, then you have to just get used to it. Or work it out before the meetings.” He pointedly ignored the face Sting made. “But. If it’s more… Or rather could turn _into_ something more… Then you should be more careful.”

“Like what?”

“Like treat her with respect and get to know her.” Ryos scowled. “Probably. C’mon Sting, get your brain into action. Does she affect you differently than the others?” When Sting made a face, he added: “Not your cock, you dork.”

The blonde shut his mouth and mused; it was true. Apart from being beautiful, she was a brainy woman who kept up with him and his teasing. There was also chemistry, which did not appear often between him and the women he had interacted with. Finally, he felt undeniable respect towards Lucy and actually wanted to show his best side to her.

“For the record, I don’t remember you acting over a woman like that before. Ever.” He squinted his eyes. “She _does_ affect you differently. In a good way.”

“But it’s too _soon_ to consider it!” Sting growled and caught his head in his hands. “Fuck, stop screwing with my head!”

“Be glad that someone can get you thinking.” Ryos shrugged and stood up. “I’m not saying you should get this straight at once. But you should compose yourself a bit. Act your age.”

Sting grimaced and threw a pillow at his best friend, who dodged and walked away to his room.

* * *

 

In the evening, he was much calmer. He thought it over and decided to allow it to go at its own pace. If it was meant to be something more, it would. Sting stuck to his own words: it was hella too early to consider it.

Still, she was on his mind. Therefore, the man could not help himself and he sent her an honest message on what he thought about her clothes. Surely, she would come to college with her loose attire, as always… Sting huffed and put the cellphone away. It was late and he did not expect her to answer at all.

But. She replied soon, and in a similar tone at that.

Sting smiled and felt bold enough to openly sext with the woman. It was amusing, especially that she was probably having just as much fun as he was. Also, was it just him, or she was baiting him? He loved the challenge, especially when she asked if he would follow his own words and automatically sleep with anything with boobs.

_Time to get a bit more straightforward…_

However, soon, Lucy wrote a parting message, but he would have none of it; it was all or nothing. He was sure of that if his dreams went wrong—or right?—she would star in them. Sting smirked to himself. He let the words form on the displayer and sent the message, waiting for her reaction.

Which did not disappoint him.

Shocked. She was shocked.

So, the man eagerly explained himself.

After that, she admitted defeat, making Sting grin from ear to ear. It was a first!

That time really putting the device away, Eucliffe turned on his back and started at the ceiling, musing.

His talk with Rogue confused him even more. He knew Lucy for a few days only, but he could not deny she was fascinating in a way. Additionally, she dropped a bomb at him with her sexiness, and that did nothing for him to appear cool. In fact, Sting believed it triggered something inside of his being and he really noticed her as a woman.

How could he not, though? He would have to be an idiot to stare at her nude form blankly and _not_ react.

Sting sighed. He was aware of that his attraction to her was physical at this point, but Lucy was on a good way of catching his attention due to her intelligence and comportment as well.

Either way, he was screwed.

Because, even though she was joking around and playing it cool, he noted that she was becoming extremely uncomfortable. She was also trying to hide it. She did not let him touch herself, not even once. Not that he was striving to touch her, but it was a habit whenever he was letting a girl pass first through the door. For example.

He doubted it was about insecurities since she sure as hell did not have any reason to be insecure over her looks. There had to be something more… Something deep and dark.

And he insisted on finding it out.

Eventually.


	5. Keeping up the appearances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, edited and ready to be published. The first session is here for you to enjoy :)

If Lucy thought that Sting had had enough of her, she was proven wrong. The next day she entered the university and, as usually, gave up her clothes in the cloakroom. Then, she went into the usual classroom, not bothered by anyone. She took her place to unpack before Mr. Jet came.

Suddenly, when she was looking for a pen in her bag, a shadow covered her desk and she looked up quickly, a little startled.

“Hi! What’s up?” The grinning Sting Eucliffe asked for a greeting. He was casually leaning on her desk, his face brightened by his smile and his eyes sparkling.

“Oh, hey. I’m good, thanks. And you?” She smiled.

“Yep, me too. Not at all sore after yesterday’s posing! Are you?” When Lucy shook her head, he straightened up. “Say, what time should I come over?”

“Whenever you like. Maybe gimme some time after the classes are over, but suit yourself.” However, he was still looking at her expectantly, so she sighed and shrugged. “Fine, is 5PM okay?”

“Sure. So, we’re in touch.” Sting winked and strolled away.

Lucy shook her head slowly, trying not to giggle out loud. She had no idea why, though; was she that excited over a meeting with him? But before she could overanalyze it, the lecture started. She opened a notebook and began fishing for most important facts given by the professor. Knowing him, that would be on the final exam.

Yet, it was not even five minutes into the class that her phone buzzed. Luckily, the professor did not notice anything; he was known for being hostile towards cellphones, especially in his lectures. She quickly turned the vibrations off and checked on the sly who wanted something from her. After reading the name, she raised her brows and her sight wandered across the classroom to Sting. He raised and lowered one brow, signalizing her to read the text.

_You’re wearing baggy again._

Lucy stared at the professor to make sure he would not notice her texting and the moment he turned to the blackboard, she replied.

_Of course. Why wouldn’t I?_

_’Cause I told you, it’s a pity._

_It’s also a habit. And a real pity is that I really hate it._

_Then dress normally?_

Mr. Jet’s voice boomed close to her seat, making Lucy jump. She quickly hid the phone in her sleeve and wrote down whatever he was currently saying. Then, making absolutely sure she was safe again, she answered the last message.

_I do. At home._

_Oh, wow, so I’ll get to see you wearing something your size today? Can’t wait._

The memories of the evening flooded her mind and she blushed; out of the sudden, she was quite adamant to find out whether he really _did_ dream about her or not… But changed her mind at the last moment. It was hardly a place to ask such questions. Also, she could not bear his intense sight right there, being among everyone. Thus, Lucy bit her lip and decided to play it cool.

_Well, not that I complain, but I thought you’d rather see a naked woman :D_

_Oh? Not that you’re not right… Having any hopes there?_

_It was a joke, obviously._

_Clearly._

“Mister Eucliffe! Please, do not text during my lecture!” Suddenly, the professor’s voice pulled Lucy out of her thoughts and she returned to reality—only to spot Mr. Jet glaring at the scolded man, who was mumbling some apologies and hiding the phone back in his bag. When the teacher went away, he immediately glanced at her. Lucy made certain that no one was looking at them and grinned teasingly at him. Sting rolled his eyes playfully, smirking at the end.

The rest of the lecture was rather boring, making Lucy slip into her daydream and occasionally writing something down. Yet, after the text exchange, she was barely listening to the lecture, completely lost in her thoughts and planning the evening that was coming inexorably closer.

* * *

 

Heartfilia went back home right after the classes—she had some serious cleaning to do. She had two hours to make the flat look tolerable. Without wasting time, she vacuumed the area, threw away any garbage laying around, then tidied the rooms. Finally, it was ready to receive guests. She smiled and sat down to rest.

Knowing the man would soon arrive, Lucy had an urge to change her clothes for something more covering, but decided against it. She had already told Sting that she would be dressed normally… It would be suspicious if she changed specially for him. Also, it was nothing special, just shorts and a top. Besides, he had seen her all naked—what did it matter now whether she was wearing regular clothes and not the usual ones?

To find a distraction from talking herself into wearing an overly big sweatshirt again, she gazed around. Everything seemed ready. A chair and a stool stood under a wall, prepared to use. She even found a place where the light was falling more or less like in Sting’s apartment to keep the balance and the same angles of the shadows.

All she had to do was wait now.

* * *

 

At five, there was a knock on the door. More or less mentally prepared, Lucy sighed and went to the entrance to let the man in.

“Hi, I brought some cake for later. Yesterday after the session I was starving.” Sting said for a greeting and stepped inside, taking off his jacket. “You have no idea how cold it is right now! And the snow—”

“Really? It’s snowing already?”

“Yeah, it just started.”

“Damn, I was hoping that it wouldn’t…” Lucy complained. “I wanted to visit another town, but traveling in the snow… Bad idea.”

“You have a car?” He asked, interested.

“Yup!” She grinned. “A Subaru.”

“Nice! I have a car, too, although I prefer Audis to Subarus. They’re friendlier.”

“If you say so.” Lucy snickered. “All right. Wanna look around the apartment?”

Having obtained a nod, the woman took Sting on a tour, showing him every room. What surprised him most was a…

“No, seriously? You have a _sauna_ at home?” Sting gapped at her with disbelief when she closed the wooden door.

“Father’s idea.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “He wanted to make sure it’s in here. For health and comfort, although I’ve never used it yet.”

“Then you have to. And I’d gladly join you.” He smirked. “Say, can we use it the next time I’m here? I love saunas, but rarely have an opportunity to use them… And the swimming pool ones are always packed with people. Disgusting people, at that… Plus I think we don’t have any problem with being naked around each other.”

“Sure, if you want to.” Lucy laughed half-heartedly and backed away into the hall. “Do you want to eat something? Drink?”

“No, thanks.”

“Mhm. Then, do we start?”

“I guess.” The man chuckled and bluntly eyed her up and down. “By the way, you look… normal. I like it. It suits you.”

Lucy grimaced, turning her back at him and walking towards her living room.

“Sting, I really can’t be going out like that…” She bit her lip, stopping next to the window.

“Is it because of shyness?”

She could sense him approaching her, but did not move.

“No.”

“Some stupid beliefs?”

“No.”

“Fear?” Sting stepped in front of her and tried to make her look at him. Lucy turned her head away without a word. “I see. But why, of what?”

“Sting. I told you not to push me…” She whispered.

“Right. Sorry, it’s just that I really _am_ trying to understand you.” He admitted and took a few steps back. “But if you ever wanna talk about anything, feel welcome to come to me.”

She raised her head and gazed into his eyes; he was serious. Lucy, on the other hand, was confused and unsure of his motives. “Why?”

“Because I like you and want you to know that you have a friend in me.” Sting explained patiently, with seriousness.

“T-thank you, Sting.” She whispered and lowered her sight. “You, too.”

He smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair, but she dodged his hand. Perceptive as he was, he noticed her expression and the widening of her eyes. So, after clearing his throat as if nothing happened, he said: “Great. So, who starts today?”

“Whatever. But I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“Can we actually _talk_ while sketching? I mean, it’s kind of weird to sit there in silence, isn’t it?”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing.” He chuckled. “So, you want me to pose first this time?”

“That’d be only fair.” Lucy stuck out her tongue and wrinkled her nose. “Okay, jump out of your clothes.”

“Careful, because I’ll think you are eager to see me naked.” Sting warned her playfully and spat at the sight of her expression. “Alright, alright. Here you are, lady.”

True to his words, he pulled the shirt up and, a second later, he was tossing it away. Catching a glimpse of her, Sting sighed when he saw Lucy looking away, uncomfortable. His hands dealt with his zipper and he took off his pants and boxers at the same time, musing.

“You know,” The man finally stated, still watching her. “You really should stop being all timid about either of us being naked in front of the other. Let’s face it. We both look great, even though you don’t wanna admit it. What’s more, it’s only the two of us, right? Not a big deal… Besides, it’s not like I haven’t seen you nude before. Yesterday exactly. Several hours ago. The first time is supposedly the worst, or am I missing something?”

“It comes so easy to you. Just… To throw the clothes off and parade nude.” Lucy blurted and shook her head. “I need time. It was only once and, well, even though it _was_ worse, remember that I was hiding for the last two years, so it’s not like you could flick your fingers and I’m all fired up to pose with no clothes on.”

“But, Lucy, you have to get used to it.” He sighed. “How are you gonna pose well without relaxing?”

“I’ll handle my mind. At my own pace.”

Sting sent her a doubtful look, but chose not to say more and took a chair. She instructed him how to place it so that there was similar light to the one they had worked with the day before. Soon, he spoke up. “I think I have an idea for this Saturday.”

“Really? What’s that?”

“Say, why don’t we meet up—just to get to know each other better and work on the trust issues you seem to have?”

Lucy stopped placing her tools around the canvas and gapped at him, frozen. Did he really offer her that? And wait, did she actually want to say yes? As much as she wanted to decline, she knew he was right. She had trust issues and it really could affect their work negatively…

“Um, sounds good to me.” She admitted, a little shocked, observing him adjusting to the pose and slightly correcting him.

“Really? Great! Then I say we meet at, for example, 1pm, to eat out or go for a walk, then we can crash at my place or at yours, whichever you like…”

“It can be here.” Lucy answered, taking a right angle to see him and squinting her eyes to make her eyes adapt to the brightness. “I bet your flat mate wouldn’t like to emigrate under pressure and I’m alone here. We won’t bother anyone.”

“Right. Plus you have an operating sauna.” Sting chuckled.

“Exactly.” The woman focused on the perspective, thinking of where to start since the picture should be much bigger than the sketch they had done before. Reedus demanded a full size drawing… So she had to just do the math and get on with work. Only after a few seconds did she ask him next question. “Anyway, what do you have in mind when you think about the Saturday meeting?”

“Oh, like, we should play some undressing games, do the sauna, play truth or dare… Anything to get to know each other and start feeling comfortable.”

“I see.” She nodded, starting to draw from the legs. Suddenly, she stopped and stared at him intensively, examining every wrinkle, every light and shadow, every hair. “Please, don’t include… sex, or anything of that kind.”

“Well, if you say so… Although you’re the one who mentioned it.” Sting grinned teasingly.

“Yeah, right. But, seriously, I’d appreciate it.” Lucy grimaced at her own understatement. Actually, it qualified for an understatement of the year. “Not that I’d let you touch me anyway…”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He raised his brows.

Lucy closed her eyes. Damn, she said too much again. “Not you, not anyone.” She stated, shrugging, pretending to be unaffected. “This is one of the reasons to which I’m a forever alone-like figure in the eyes of others. I just don’t take physical contact easily.”

“It is, isn’t it? Another consequence of the past?”

Lucy nodded her head fiercely. No point in denying. “Exactly.”

For a few minutes, they were silent, each lost in thought. Finally, Sting cleared his throat and stated seriously: “I’m not here to hurt you, you know.”

“I-I guess.”

God, the declaration almost pained her. But she _was_ trying to comprehend it.

“Then, please, you need to promise me something.” When he earned a focused look at that, Sting said earnestly. “Don’t treat me like an enemy, like someone to use you, or to cause you any pain.”

The dread on her face was obvious, so was her stupefaction. Not that she was hiding her anxiety and her reactions to his amicability.

“Am I?”

“No, but you’re close.”

“Sorry.” Lucy apologized faintly.

“Don’t worry. We’ll work on that, too.”

Silence embraced them and the only thing that was heard was Lucy’s crayon sliding on the paper. She needed to focus more, paying special attention to details and perfectly transfer them onto the canvas. After all, the pastels did not tolerate mistakes. How fortunate that she had not reached his genitals yet... She would not be able to remain professional and not blush at the very least. _No, no, don’t think about it! You hopeless fool._ And there she was, making an inner fuss over the inevitable future. It took a few moments for her to think of another question, if only to distract herself from thinking about his private parts.

“Sting, tell me.” She wondered out loud. “You said your father is an artist…”

“Was.” A harsh tone in his voice surprised her. Lucy paused and stared at him for a moment before resuming her work. Still, Sting understood she was trying to pretend the question never happened and rolled his eyes, admitting blankly. “He was. He’s dead.”

“Oh, my goodness… I’m so sorry.” Lucy widened her eyes and made a face. “I had no idea.”

“It’s all right.”

“I can change the topic if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“You sure?” She doubted it, but if he did not mind sharing…

The man sent her a serious gaze. “Yes.”

“Okay…” Lucy bit her lip. “I just wanted to know… Why did you decide to be a drawer instead of a painter? You’d have had it easier.”

“Isn’t it obvious? To gain an independent name.” Sting cleared his throat, becoming angry. “I don’t want to be ‘the son of Weisslogia’ forever. If it’s something that holds any value to me, why would I want it the easy way, using someone else’s achievements? Plus, I, I don’t really like the smell of the paint… It doesn’t go with pleasant memories.”

“I see.” She commented softly, making a few delicate contours with the crayon and stopping to look at him. “And I respect that, respect _you_ all the more.”

Apparently, Sting did not expect to hear that. “R-really?”

“Of course.” She huffed. “It’s absolutely amazing, it means you’re brave enough to be yourself. I bet not many would let the situation like this pass by them.”

“Well…” He smiled. “I don’t know. All I’ve heard was that I was being a moron for refusing to accept my theoretically rightful place. And I don’t feel any special nor brave for rejecting that. In fact, it’s no biggie.”

“Oh, stop it with the modesty.” Heartfilia shook her head and winked. “Doesn’t suit you much.”

“Why?” Sting frowned and made an expression of disgust, once again peeved. “Because of who my father was and I should be proud?”

“What? No.” She made a shocked face. “Never! Why would I think of you through someone else’s life? I meant you are a little arrogant, is all. Sting, I’m getting to know _you_ , who _you_ are and that’s all. I would never assume what you _should_ be.”

There, the woman stopped. Her voice cracked; she knew what it was like, to be taken for someone you were not. What you should be. What you should feel. How you should live. Still, she shook it off; it was no time to depress herself, especially that it was not about her. Not that time.

Thus, she observed the man. He sat there still for a while, then shifted. “Lucy.” She cocked a brow at him in question. “If I weren’t naked, I’d hug you. Actually, scratch that. I wouldn’t mind, but you would, so if you weren’t adamant about not being touched, I’d hug you.”

“But don’t do that.” She giggled. “And there’s no reason, really. I only said what’s natural, normal. You won’t make me believe that no one’s ever treated you normally.”

However, Eucliffe kept quiet. Lucy gaped at him.

“Sting…?”

“Mostly. It’s mostly been like this.” He muttered eventually, staring at the opposite wall. “It’s not easy to be through with it when you admit at the beginning that you’re a son of a famous artist. People see benefits of being your friend and it just… Well, it just doesn’t work that way, does it?”

“Of course not.” Lucy replied softly, her eyes tender.

“How can you be yourself when, at some point, you can’t really distinct the real you from the one everyone thinks you are?”

“But you dealt with it eventually.”

“Thanks to Rogue and Yukino. They were the only ones who didn’t see me as a stepping stone.”

The woman bit her lip. She was completely taken aback by his confession. Why had he told her that? Did he already trust her that much? It was the most personal thing he could have told her, yet, it needed a certain amount of trust. What was more, it made her feel on the verge of tears.

“I’m so sorry.” Lucy whispered. “I, I know what it means to be taken for someone else… And to be used for benefit. In my case, for money. And… And…”

“And your looks.” Sting guessed in a low voice.

“B-but! It’s not the time for any of it.” Suddenly, she laughed out loud unnaturally and sharply turned her head to the drawing, faking examining it, but in reality seeing nothing. “Will you handle the position for five more minutes? It’ll be just what I wanted to achieve today and I think you’ve had enough of posing.”

“You mean, it’s gonna be your turn.” He clarified with a smirk.

“Well, yes.”

“Bring it.”

Several minutes later, it was Lucy who was sitting there, posing, nude and startled. The more uncomfortable she was becoming, the more Sting was blushing while proceeding with the work. She guessed he decided to contour her chest and mocked him.

“What is this, are you blushing, Mr. Eucliffe?”

“W-what? No.” He denied quickly, trying to hide beneath the easel.

“Aw, I think you are.”

“Drop it, Lucy.” She heard from behind the canvas and rolled her eyes.

“Alright.” Lucy mumbled and shivered under a cold blow of wind. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin and her sensitive nipples hardened. “Damn. It’s gotten cold.”

“Want me to make you hot? I have a few great tricks up my sleeve.” Sting offered, peeking at her from over the canvas and smirking.

“Thanks, I think I’ll pass.”

“Oh, pity. You would love those.”

Lucy huffed in annoyance over the teasing. He snickered and worked in silence for a while, then stepped out from his spot and scrutinized her. Lucy noted that his sight lingered on her breasts, inspecting their curves. Then, his eyes passed on her belly. No matter how ill at ease she felt, a little bit of her was quite pleased with the fire in his eyes when she was undressing. It did boost her ego and she felt attractive again; even though the rational part of her wanted anything but. Preventing herself from trembling, she sighed faintly. Almost immediately, the man threw her an amused glance.

“Excited?”

“Surprise, surprise. How the hell did you hear that?” She mumbled, her cheeks flaring.

“Good hearing. But, there’s no need to be ashamed, it's normal, isn't it?” Sting stated and cleared his throat.

“I suppose...”

“Say, Lucy. Why don't you join us, my friends and me the next time we go out? I'm sure it'd do you much good.”

“Um, thank you, but I don't think some people would appreciate it.” Answered Lucy, thinking of Angel.

“Why?”

“First off, I'd be wearing baggy. Who wants to have a weirdo with them? Second, I don't think your friend Angel approves of me.”

“What are you saying.” Sting threw her a serious, doubting look. “She has no reason to feel that way.”

The woman thought that if her theory was real, then Angel had every right to hate her from her very heart, with every pore on her body. After all, it was her, the outsider girl wearing overly big sweatshirts, who was regularly seeing the man naked and was undressing with him and in front of him. If jealousy, glares, or sneering could kill, she would have been dead at least twenty times already. “W-well...”

Suddenly, though, he dropped the topic; instead, he frowned and eyed her. “Lucy. You must do it again.”

She sighed in resignation and pinched herself delicately to make her nipples harder again. “I can't help it.”

“If you don't make them stand at attention, then I will make them firm for you.”

Lucy shot him a look that said _don't you dare_. Was it a joke? It better be, because she felt panic build in her consciousness at the very thought. “No.”

“Oh yes, I swear.” Sting smirked and licked his lips, staring at her bosom. She blushed and instantly felt a shiver, satisfying his demands. “That's the spirit. Though the next time I will simply touch you.”

_B-breathe. Don’t let him know how much it affects you._

“No.”

“Oh yes.”

“No way, Sting.”

He shook his head and said nothing more. Meanwhile, Lucy steadied her breath and pushed the panic to the back of her mind. But then she began to ponder. She was rather certain she would not let him put a finger on herself, not even for the purpose of the project. She gulped, feeling her eyes stinging and she feared that she would cry. Fortunately, the man was busy touching something up, so she quickly collected herself as much as she could at the moment and took a deep breath. On that, his head jerked up and he scrutinized her.

“What's wrong? You okay?”

“It’s nothing. I just took a deeper breath, that's all.”

She managed to answer coolly, with no hint betraying her near state of a nervous breakdown. He did not notice anything... Not a thing. Lucy was proud of herself. She got better with the years, she could hide her uneasiness; and that was what ultimately calmed her down.

The session was going smoothly and she was able to pipe down enough to chat with the man about some unimportant things. Finally, he allowed her to dress up and packed his things.

Sting did not stay too long. After cleaning the place and dusting the remainings of the crayons, the woman prepared the cake he had brought; the blondes ate it with delight, both hungry. Eventually, Sting checked the time and swore; he started up and quickly collected the rest of his things, claiming to be in a hurry.

“But hey, we meet this Saturday, right?” He smirked, not at all discouraged.

“Um, yeah…”

“Great. We’ll set the hour later, expect a text or something. See ya later!”


	6. Saturday Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, it was pure torture, editing this chapter. But it should be much more comprehensible than the first version:) thanks for the kudos and support! Enjoy!

In the end, they both agreed that going out into the city would be pointless since the meeting would lose the intimacy Sting wanted to achieve. Thus, wanting to be a good host, Lucy went shopping and bought snacks and some refreshments. Then, she tidied the sauna up and prepared the towels along with anything they would need. Right before Sting’s coming she turned the heat on, knowing it would take it around an hour to warm up.

Saturday came quickly, almost unexpectedly. In the morning, Lucy had gotten a text from the guy telling her to get cards to play, some alcohol, and a board game of choice. She did as asked and currently was sitting in the kitchen, watching the pizza she had made bake.

Soon, the doorbell rang and she jumped. _So it begins_ …

“Hi there.” Sting greeted her when she opened the door and smiled at him.

“Hey. Come in.”

“I’ve brought something sweet. Figured you’d make a dinner or something…” He sniffed and smiled. “Mm, pizza?”

“Yeah, homemade.” She nodded. “Get yourself comfortable and I’ll make something to drink. What would you like?”

“What alcohol do you have?”

“Already?” She goggled at him. “I’d rather we waited till after the sauna… Drinking with no food and then entering extreme heat doesn’t usually end good. But I bought refreshments and have some juice, cola, Fanta…”

“Right.” Sting laughed. “Okay, then. Some coke, please.”

“Sure.”

The woman moved to the kitchen and poured the black liquid into glasses. Soon, Sting joined her and sat at the small table, watching his colleague bustle around.

“You know,” He started, leading his eyes behind the blonde. “There’s much grace in your moves. Is it natural?”

Lucy tensed and gritted her teeth before she replied wryly. “I’m not pretending anything.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, though…” Sting raised his brows. “It’s rare for women to move gracefully nowadays. Why are you so annoyed?”

“Am not.”

“Yes, you are.” He stated. “You’re trying to suffocate the sponge.”

She glanced at her left hand and realized he was right. Her fingers were almost white from the strength she was using to squeeze it. “Shit.”

“So?”

“I think it has to wait.” Lucy sighed. “I’ll open up after alcohol, maybe.”

“Uh, that bad?”

“Worse.” She whispered.

“Then I guess we need lots of alcohol.” Sting cleared his throat. “Good that I brought some whisky.”

Heartfilia sent him a serious look. “You came prepared.”

“Of course!”

She thought that she was not the only one dealing with some past hardships, but kept it to herself for now. “Hey, can you help me out?”

Sting stood up and approached her. “What do I do?”

“Take the pizza out of the oven and put it on the table at the pad.”

“Sure.” He took the potholder and did as told. Lucy nodded and grabbed the tea she had just finished making. She brought it to the living room, then provided glasses and wine. Sting entered the room the moment she was battling with a bottle of wine.

“Wait, I’ll help you.” He chuckled and took over the bottle. With a funny face, he opened the wine without any problem. “See, even you need someone sometimes.”

“Yeah…” She murmured and tried to retake the bottle, but Sting raised it out of her reach.

“I’ll do it. Just sit down and relax, Lucy.”

The woman bobbed her head and went to the table to cut the pizza. She dealt with it much better than with the alcohol. Then, she took his advice and plopped on her sofa, relaxing.

“Say, you have a whole schedule prepared for the evening, don’t you?” Lucy asked the man when he took his seat.

“I do, but if you have any idea, we can use it, too.” Sting smiled invitingly.

“N-no, it’s okay, I’m just curious.” She shook her head. “Anyway, here’s an interesting thing; can you imagine that this will be the first evening in forever that I’ll spend with someone?”

“Well, then.” Eucliffe put away the bottle and raised his glass with wine, passing Lucy hers. “I’m glad to be the one to change that. And let’s drink to that.”

“Yeah, cheers! One glass before the sauna shouldn’t kill us.”

The blondes sipped the wine and exchanged a smile. Lucy stood to put her glass down and grabbed the pizza and plates, standing them in a hand’s reach. She gave him a slice, took one for herself, and got back to her place.

“Now, while we’re eating… Let’s play questions and answers.”

“Mm.” She hummed, munching. “And what if the person doesn’t reply?”

“We’ll use the question again later.”

Lucy eyed him, amused. “You have everything covered.”

“Of course. I’m very smart.” Sting smirked and winked, making her roll her eyes.

“So, let’s take it easy at the beginning.” She offered with a smile. She did not admit it out loud, but she was rather nervous; it did not take much for the questions to turn personal and she had much she would not want to share. To cover her nervousness, she reached for another pizza slice, followed by the man.

“Fine. Wanna start?”

“Um… Are they supposed to be like: what’s your favorite color, or more intimate?”

“We can start from the silly things.” Sting replied, gazing at her with interest. “And it’s white. What’s your hobby, apart from drawing?”

“Let’s see… I love reading and writing. Also, I’m collecting figurines of zodiacs.” Lucy pondered, making him chuckle. She frowned at him. “What? You find it funny?”

He grinned. “A bit, yeah. What for?”

“I’m fascinated by the stars and the astronomy. No horoscopes, though. You?”

“Not much, I like sports and used to train boxing for a while, but quit after someone broke my nose.” Sting stated calmly, chewing on his food and watching her reaction.

The woman hissed and covered her mouth with a hand. “Ouch. But it seems okay, I mean, usually it’s obvious that one had a broken nose, and yours is… In a good condition.”

“Yeah, I had a good doctor and my parents were fast in reaction. They didn’t want my good looks ruined.” He smirked. They drank some more wine and he continued. “Okay. Name at least five of your guilty pleasures.”

“Seriously? That many?” She laughed. “Um, okay. Why don’t we just exchange one for one?”

“Fair enough.” Sting grinned.

“Then… I love wasting time. Like, I sometimes make a list of what I should do and then do something else.”

“Really? You seem rather well-organized.” He noticed. “But no judging. Okay, here I go; I enjoy playing with random children. You know, lifting them, laughing along, playing some stupid games, even if it’s just running around…”

“No way!” Lucy grinned with mirth. “You and children, who would’ve thought!”

“As you see, yeah. But when it comes to children that I know, I can’t stand them. I had this little monster for a cousin, I still wonder how come he could be yelling for that long.”

“Those are kids for you. Alright, my turn. Hm. I like dancing at home just in underwear, for comfort, of course. The idea of just getting wild and simply crazy about it to a good song makes me giddy.” She blushed. “As long as I don’t see myself, that is.”

“You’ll think of me as a pervert, but I’d actually love to see that.” Sting licked his lips. “Okay. But don’t laugh at me, I like to watch two things the most: series based on facts that include murder and… old Disney.”

Lucy stared at him, then spat, trying not to laugh out loud. “That’s actually cute! I like Disney, too. But I prefer listening to some well-known songs like _My heart will go on_ and scream them out, pretending I’m the star.”

“What’s the guilt here?”

“I can’t sing. And sometimes when I record it—yes, I do!—I can’t even stand it. Poor neighbors, I wonder how come no one’s ever called the police suspecting there was murder happening at my place.”

“I like fantasizing about hot women… Especially when I’m seeing one.” He admitted, smirking. She could not help but read suggesting in that. “Still, I don’t consider myself _sick_ or something.”

“Um… I’d say it’s something I’d expect from a man. You’re bold about it, though.” She giggled again, flushing. “But you have a point for honesty. So you earned to know that…” Lucy sighed. “When I was… different, before being like I am now… I used to love and actually wear kinky underwear… And I mean it. The kinkiest there was.”

Sting’s jaw dropped in shock. He was staring at her, not believing. She could almost hear the gears in his brain working. “You’re shitting me.”

“I’m serious.”

“I don’t believe it.” He stated. “Otherwise, you’d still be wearing it under those… Holy fuck.” Sting’s breath hitched and his eyes widened in realization. “You never stopped.”

“K-kind of…” Lucy shifted uncomfortably. Damn his sixth sense and ability to add two to two. “I mean, it remains unseen, so it’s not like someone knows… Well, except you now.”

“Wow. Lucy, I wish you haven’t told me.” His voice gained a husky strain.

“Eh? Why? Besides, you’ll see it eventually—”

“I guess… but! Does my guilty pleasure from before your confession ring a bell?”

“O-oh!” Heartfilia blushed hard, embarrassed. Apparently, she basically served herself on a plate to him, offering rather stimulating views.

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve added only one detail to the picture.”

She froze. He could not mean it so openly… But seeing that he really did, she stood up and took the plates. “I say we take the things to the kitchen and move down to the coffee table.”

He dropped the subject. “Good idea.”

“And hey, I know it’s not healthy to have alcohol before the sauna, but… Can we have one shot?” He whined behind her.

Lucy turned her head and scrutinized him. Finally, she sighed and said. “Fine. But just one, and not the full one. I mean, I don’t wanna call for anyone to help us out of the sauna…”

“Geez, okay, Mom.” Sting laughed and waited for the host to come back with half-filled glasses for shots, lime, and some snacks. She sat down and passed the glass to him, smiling a little.

 “So, to what?”

“To our meetings?”

“And friendship.”

“Yeah!”

The blondes gulped the shots down and quickly reached for the lime. Lucy moaned at that and sighed in content. The last time she had had tequila was during the senior year of high school. Huh, she did not even realize it had been almost three years before. It was a good reminder of the happy, innocent times.

“Uhh, tequila always tastes strong.” The man noticed, sucking on his lemon.

“It _is_ strong. Who’s asking a question, by the way?”

“Your turn.”

“Okay. I’ve been wondering for a while now… Within your special room, are those only your works?” Lucy asked, tilting her head. “Or you let others paint a thing or two, too?”

Sting seemed to take his time before he put the fruit away slowly and murmured. “Only one person.” She was not certain, but had an impression that he grimaced a little. Still, when she blinked to clear her vision and take a better look, it was gone. “My turn?” Sting brought her back to the earth. She nodded and smiled encouragingly. “What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”

Her eyes widened. The question, innocent in itself, was anything but to her. The answer held a secret of hers. A secret which awakened no pleasant memories… Not able to help it, the blonde bit her lip and turned her sight away, the smile fading. That was exactly what she had feared, those silly little questions which provoked confessions. They reached the hard topics fast… But he could not know that, could he? He had asked in good faith. Thus, she took a deep breath, her voice barely passing for a whisper. “I-I ran away from home and never came back.”

That statement made Eucliffe choke on a snack he grabbed and he needed a moment to collect himself. She did not move, not even an inch, waiting for his reaction. Finally, he gapped at her and uttered. “What?”

“I did.” Lucy admitted faintly, not ready to look back at him.

“H-how? Why?”

“Not fair! Those are two additional questions. Wait for your turn.” She composed herself fast. Her head snapped towards the man and she showed him her tongue, a smirk present on her lips. Lucy hoped it was convincing enough. “Anyway, forgive me if I’m too straightforward, but do you have any family? You never seem to talk about them, not even a mention…”

“Uh, it’s a difficult topic, but let’s just say I do. I have a brother. But he’s heavens know where. So, basically, no. I don’t have any family. I’m alone.” Sting admitted reluctantly. Having finished, he sighed and his face fell. “Although that’s not entirely true. I consider Rogue a part of my family.”

“I am—“ The woman started, but was interrupted before she could apologize.

“Now back to your reply, why? Why did you run away?”

Lucy took a second to muse over her answer. Her eyes closed, her voice shook a little. Yet, she forced her lids open, not able to admit to being weak, and kept her gaze trained on Sting. “I-I had a completely different life back then. I was home-schooled, had to wear elegant, full Victorian dresses. I was taught savoir-vivre, dancing, how to walk, eat, dress, talk to women and men separately, sit, even breathe…” She grimaced. Even the memory caused anger to bubble in her chest. “But the lack of freedom, of friends, of youth wasn’t the main reason. I—”

“Hold on. Just _who_ are you?” The man raised his hands and asked, confused. “It sounds as though you were born in another epoch, not the 21 st century!”

“In a sense, you are right. The upbringing I was given and the whole environment _were_ ancient.”

“Wait a minute.” He squinted his eyes. His lips moved, murmuring her surname. It probably rang a bell in his head, but he could not quite put a finger on it. Therefore, a little terrified of the consequences, she decided to continue before he realized she was _the_ Heartfilia. She stared into the space, her eyes unfocused. Even after some time the name was bringing forced respect and unnecessary behaviors. It was the last thing she wanted now. Especially from Sting Eucliffe.

“After my Mom’s death, I was mistreated by my Father. He was very strict and demanding… At the times he _did_ notice my existence, that is. Mostly, he used to ignore me and crush any attempt I would make to spend time with him.” She swallowed hard, knowing she was watched carefully. She did not dare to glance at him; she did not want to see pity from anyone. “I couldn’t stand it.”

“I’m sorry.” Sting told her gently.

She was surprised with herself. She confessed all that so fast, so truthfully to a half-stranger… It was not like her at all. She got used to being alone and covert, not even her best friend knew everything about her childhood. She had never talked to anyone about it. There was no need to make others worried over her even more. And yet, now… Why? Why did she? Was it because of the fact that, since she had no one to talk to anyway, she automatically decided to trust the man?  They were no real friends yet… No one was friends after hardly a week of acquaintance.

Her shoulders shook, but she masked it rapidly, straightening herself. Lucy forged her face into a polite mask, smiling apologetically. She tilted her head delicately and reached for a snack; her Father would have been proud of her display at the moment.

Nonetheless, Sting did not seem impressed, if the heavy scowl on his face was any indication. He was clearly unhappy about a sudden wall which erected between them. Which _she_ erected.

“Ah. Sorry. I said too much.” She laughed it off, rolling her shoulders back a bit and still smiling pleasantly.

“No, it’s okay. I won’t tell a soul.” Sting promised, frowning. “But what’s _not_ okay is this. Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“You’re not a fool, don’t play one now. Drop the act. I didn’t come here today to distance myself from you. And you’re doing exactly that with those high society antics.”

Heartfilia had to admit, he was damn clever. “You’re right.” She shifted and slowly relaxed in her seat. “It’s a defense mechanism.”

“Alright.” Then, hesitantly, he added. “Now that we’re here, let me tell you more about myself.”

“Sting. I don’t want you to force yourself to do it just because I told you about… About myself.” Lucy interrupted, narrowing her eyes at him. “I told you only because I felt it was okay. Yet, if you don’t feel like sharing, just don’t.”

He scrutinized her and sighed, smiling slightly. “You’re right.” Seeing that she did not understand his answer, he huffed and went on. “If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t tell you, but you seem trustworthy. You can ask me about it. Go ahead.”

“Um, fine… So, what are… were your family relations?”

“Let’s see… My father, Weisslogia, was rather a loner. As for an artist, he was pretty introverted… At home. Outside of the house, he was falling too easily into affairs. He never really cared about anything, I believe. He was forcing me to paint things and was always mocking my lack of talent. I do remember my mother rather well, but, frankly, I don’t want to talk about her. She… wasn’t fine. My brother is older, we used to be on neutral terms for a while before everything went downhill and he left when he was of age. I do not even know where he is or whether he’s still alive.” He gulped and brushed his hair back, trying to mask his emotions. “Even before our father’s death, he did not see me as his sibling, I was a burden. Though I can understand it, he was just a teenager when he had to take care of his baby brother. When he became of age… There was a huge fight, resulting in Laxus leaving the household. Well, let’s just say that my father and me stopped talking at all. He died alone even though I was beside him. He wanted that… I wanted that.”

Sting trembled and covered his face. It was clear he would not say anything else, but she did not expect him to. He had shared much more than she expected. So, with the last word, Heartfilia gasped and, for a moment, her old self took over. She started up and approached him. Yet, right before she could pull him into a hug, she hesitated; she could not. She could not move a muscle. There was a barrier. _The_ barrier. She could not move her body—except for the arm that shot to him and rested on his shoulder comfortingly. He budged and glanced at her hand, then slowly lifted his eyes at her. In the meantime, he gently placed his own hand over hers.

“I’m so sorry.” Lucy whispered, her voice muffled with emotions.

He had such a terrible life. She would have never guessed, seeing him now. He was well. Somehow, he was _fine_ enough to smile, to laugh, to gain friends and be a good person. Lucy realized it was because he was so strong. He was strong and found something that he had held on to when the darker times had come. And his brother, Laxus… She could not believe him. _What an asshole!_ Even his name— Suddenly, she blanched. The name Laxus clicked in her mind. It was strangely familiar and she had no idea, why… Yet, before she could consider it further, Sting brought her back to the previous topic by saying fake-lightly:

“Well, it’s too late to change anything now, so there’s no point in being depressed.” He grimaced.

“Still, you cannot forgive yourself, can you?”

The man’s head shot up and he stared at her, wide-eyed. He did not ask what she meant. He did not need to. How did she know that? As if in response, Lucy sighed and sat on a chair beside him, her hand slipping off his shoulder.

“I know this feeling. When I ran away, Father was doing many things to find me… And take me back. Forcefully, of course. Once, he even hurt my friends. I hated him, I truly did at the time. Then I managed to disappear for seven years.” She gulped, not brave enough to look at him. “When I decided to go to him and try to talk to him, just to clear the air, I, I found out that h-he died… He died two months before I had the guts to face him.”

“Oh God.”

“He had wrote me a letter before he passed away. It left me heartbroken… I couldn’t forgive myself for leaving, for hating him, for blaming him as much as to neglect him for the rest of his life. No matter if he was right or wrong.” Lucy blinked and smiled sadly. “But, just as you said. I can’t do anything about it now.”

“This sure is strange. We’re both so similar and yet so different.” Sting noticed, a shadow of a smile ghosting on his lips. “I both get you well and don’t. Where I understand you, there’s always a place where I don’t.”

“Well, I can say the same about you, although you probably find more things unexplainable in me than I in you.” She suggested jokingly.

“Definitely.” He sighed. “Hey, why don’t we start changing for the sauna? I mean, after the alcohol kicks in we may not be able to do something well.”

“Sure, good idea. The sauna should be ready by now anyway.”

Sting lifted himself on his feet and reached out to her, helping the woman up. They exchanged a smile and Lucy led the way to the sauna, asking him to take a few tools from the bathroom on the way. Meanwhile, she took care of the machinery, pausing the heat on its current level, and set the temperature under the shower for later. At that moment, Sting went back to her and passed her two towels and body lotion for later.

“I can’t wait to get in there.” He confessed, giddy.

“I guess. Well, we can change now and get in for the first time. We’ll be using it a few times.”

“Yeah!”

“So, Sting. Here’s the bathroom you can use, I’ll take my room.” Lucy cleared her throat and turned her head away. “I suggest we go inside in a towel. At least for now.”

“Joy-kill.” Sting sent her a funny look. “But okay. But the second time will be a little modified.”

“How?”

“We’ll be hiding only our groins.”

She blushed hard and rolled her eyes, but nodded. That was not a comforting prospect, but she guessed she had to get used to her nudity sometime… And his. Even though she could not determine whose nakedness was making her more anxious, his or hers.

The woman went away, conscious of his intimidating sight. She closed the door and took a deep breath. _Easy, Lucy. You’re only going to sit there and talk. You can do it. No need to panic, you got this._ Lucy sighed and began pulling her clothes off. Once she got rid of them, she took the towel and wrapped it around herself tightly, making sure it was sitting well.

The woman exited the room and met with Sting in front of the wooden entrance. She whined internally when she saw that he was indeed hiding his private parts, the rest put on display—Lucy quickly turned her head away, blushing. She knew just how well-built he was and she did not want to be caught staring. Especially that it was the first time she was seeing him from such small distance.

“Shall we?” Sting said with amusement, his tone mocking. Lucy realized he already knew where she was looking.

“Y-yeah.”

“After you.”

Thus, she entered first. The steam blurred her vision for a moment and she had to get used to the hotness. Finally, she took her place and waited for the man to take his. He did with a grunt of approval.

“Awesome.” He commented, grinning.

“Say, do you wanna lie down? I’ll climb higher and you can take the lower bench.”

“Sure. Why not.”

“I’ll also set the timer.” Sting watched her when she stood on the bench right next to him and turned the timer on ten minutes. “Next time, we’ll stay here for fifteen.”

“You’re in charge here.”

Lucy sat on the higher bench and laid down, sighing. She had to admit, it was quite nice. “You know, I really don’t know why I haven’t used it until now…”

“Maybe you didn’t have anyone to use it with?” Sting suggested, smiling cheekily.

“Touché.”

“Good that you’ve got me now, then.”

She giggled and shook her head. The nerve of the man… “Yeah.”

They went silent and simply enjoyed the warmth. Soon, the timer let them know it was time to get out for a while; Lucy sat up and looked at the man on the lower bench with a smirk. He was visibly relaxed, smiling with closed eyes.

Time to change it.

“Sting, it’s time to take a cold shower.”

“Yeah, sure.” He hummed and sat up, making place for her to step down. Next, he scrutinized her and smirked, wiggling his brows. “Together?”

“W-what are you talking about, of course not!” Lucy denied quickly, sputtering. She stood up and opened the door; much colder air hit her, but she did not shiver. “Wanna go first?”

“Nah, ladies first. And leave the temperature of the water as it should be.” Sting closed the door after himself to prevent more steam and hotness from escaping.

Thus, she strolled towards the shower cabin, where she quickly dropped the towel and jumped in, closing the door. She heard him chuckle and bit her lip, turning the water on. He should not be able to see her well though the cabin; it was blurring the vision… Lucy took a deep breath in and held it, preparing herself for the worst feeling ever; finally, the ice cold stream hit her and she squealed.

“Shit, shit!”

“What, it can’t be that bad.” He laughed at her.

“It is!” The woman quickly turned it off and shivered. “Okay, I’ll go out and you can use it.”

“No prob.”

Lucy hurried out and rapidly picked her towel up, cocooning herself in it. “Uh, that’s better.” Then she opened her eyes and saw him passing in front of her, already naked. She flushed and turned her eyes away.

“Okay, lemme see.” Sting was sure of himself when he entered the shower.

The blonde smirked. He would not stand it. She expected his yell in three… Two… One…

“Holy fuck! Cold!” He yelled and hissed; now it was her who began laughing.

“Told you!”

“This is stupid, I haven’t gathered the warmth to completely get rid of it after a few moments.” He was lamenting, making the host laugh even harder. “Shut up, Lucy.”

“No! I told you!” She was cackling, the sound filling the bathroom. Then, she stopped and huffed. “Okay, fine, I’ll a place to sit for us.”

“Okay.”

Lucy passed to her living room and pulled out a blanket. She then threw it over the sofa and placed three towels on it so that they could safely sit without wetting the piece of furniture. Sting joined her after a few moments.

“Alright?” She asked innocently.

“Oh, I wish I could teach you a lesson.” He complained and flopped on the sofa. “But yea, I guess.”

“ _You_ wanted the sauna, remember?”

“Of course, still the cold shower is an evil ending. _That_ , I didn’t’ enjoy.”

The talk went on and, after ten minutes, Lucy announced they were going back. She began stepping ahead, yet, was stopped by Sting clearing his throat. She squinted her eyes; damn him.

“Lower your towel.”

“But it’s unfair, I mean, you were already like that…” She complained.

“Okay. I’ll lower my towel, too.” Having said that, Sting made his V-line visible and his cloth was barely sitting on his hips. “Better?”

“F-fine…” Lucy shook her head and slowly untangled her towel, ignoring her screaming in alert mind. She then slid it down her breasts and let it stop around her waist, where she tangled it again. Avoiding his sight, she went ahead and inside. “You coming?”

“Of course.”

Lucy sat down on the lower bench and spilled some water on the rocks, producing more steam. Sting chuckled and joined her there.

“Don’t tell me this is an attempt to hide from me? Because it’s not overly successful.”

To prove his point, he eyed the blonde with a smirk. She crossed her arms, but then scowled and put her hands down. She did not need for her naked boobs to be more obvious. And she could see how his eyes almost popped out. “No, it’s to amplify the effects of sauna. This wave of steam is called _loyly._ We’ll feel as if the temperature rose. Anyway, I’m setting the timer for fifteen minutes.”

“Okay.”

That time, though, neither of them laid down; once Sting stopped making strange jokes, they were sitting and talking. In fact, Lucy sought distraction; she was afraid of the next round since she knew he would insist on taking the towels off. Sure, he had seen her nude before, but it did not change the fact she was not a fan of revealing herself like that. Not to mention the character of their meeting; it was as far from formal as possible. At the same time, she knew it was a lost case for her.

Thus, after the second cold shower and a moment of rest, Heartfilia stood up and took off her towel, leaving it on a chair. Sting did not hesitate and simply ogled her with a smile.

“One hundred percent of a woman.”

“Oh, come on.” She rolled her eyes, flushing. “Then fine, show me one hundred percent of a man.”

“See, all you need is just ask…” Eucliffe chuckled and let his towel slip down. “And you have it.”

The woman tried not to stare (too much), hopeful that her inner fight was not obvious. Subconsciously, she noted that he was already quite stiff. She mused. Another natural reaction? Or something else? Either way, she was too abashed to decide. “Yeah, well, let’s get inside.”

* * *

 

After two more visits in the sauna, Lucy made sure it was turned off and they dressed up. The man was satisfied, having spent that much time in the steamy room with a pretty woman. They transferred back to the living room and continued the game of 20 questions until all of them were asked. During the game, the wine ended.

“Since we finished the wine… Let’s switch for tequila.” Being herself again, Lucy grinned and hopped to the coffee table.

“I like your way of thinking.” He smirked. “And your winey attitude. Actually, we may begin another game here.”

“What game?”

“A strip one.”

She eyed him with distaste. “You were serious.”

“Duh. You thought I was joking about getting used to our nudity?” Sting spat. “And that the sauna would be enough?”

“Kind of.”

“Well, no.” He licked his lips and clapped his hands. “Any preferences?”

“I have the cards you asked for.” Lucy nodded and stood up. “Also, a Battleship game and—”

“What? Really?” Sting whistled. “Okay. Change of plans. First goes the Battleship.”

She sent him a conceited look. “A big child, aren’t you.”

A smirk answered her, but otherwise the commentary remained ignored. “So, we know the rules… And it’s clear that we have too much clothes to make it to bare nothingness, but that’s okay. We’ll continue later with what’s left.” He grinned mischievously. “Anyway, for each destroyed ship—not hit, but destroyed—we take off one piece of clothing.”

“O-okay.”

Despite Lucy’s reluctant consent, they played the stripped Battleship, which resulted in Lucy’s defeat and eight tequila shots drunk. She ended up with two less pieces of clothing than Sting, who boasted about winning the game. She was smirking, teasing him about his childish side which she had not noticed before. The woman was having fun, something which she had been neglecting for the past years.

The truth was, Lucy was so focused on the game and demanding a rematch that she forgot about the consequences of losing. Sting smiled to himself; it was his hidden intention. He wanted her to relax and get used to him, to enjoy spending time together. To become closer. And to feel comfortable around each other. Although he had to admit, seeing her at the moment and _not_ feeling hot was a challenge. She had not been joking; her underwear was most provocative and revealing, making her oh so sexy.

“So? What now?” Sting teased, seeing her flush from emotions.

“What now? I want revenge!”

“Revenge? Not a rematch?”

“No, a _revenge_. You basically _destroyed_ me!”

“Fine, maybe the cards now?”

“NO! I want to play truth or dare.” Lucy pouted.

“Oh? But it’s fun only when there’s more people.” The man was trying so hard not to laugh at her. “And I’m known for making terrible dares for others…”

“I don’t care. Sting, come ooon!”

“Hm. How about no.”

Lucy’s pout deepened. “Cruel.”

“Is that all you can do to get me round?” Sting mocked her and laughed at her expression.

“Who said I want that!”

“You. Wanna play truth or dare. I don’t.” He explained calmly.

“Okay. Let’s drink.” Lucy said abruptly and crawled to the table to refill the shots. “And then I’ll try again.”

Sting only laughed heartily.

They had a drink, then Eucliffe seemed to get an idea. His lips stretched in a predatory smirk and he slowly ogled her, staring at her chest. Lucy blinked and blushed. She tried to cover herself, but seemed to find no escape from his eyes. But she was caught off guard all the more by the next question:

“How big is your bust? What’s the measure in centimeters?”

She blanched. “What kind of question is that?!”

“Are you going to answer? Or not?” Sting licked his lips, scooting closer. “Know that lack of answer means taking your clothes off.”

“All of them?!”

“Well,” He eyed her hungrily. “There’s not much left.”

“F-fine… It’s around 125cm…” Lucy mumbled, embarrassed.

“Sweet Jesus, that’s something.”

What kind of question was that? And now she was fighting with herself, because her gut was telling her to ask Sting a very personal question as well; but then she was not that bold. Or was she? And, before she realized what she was doing, the question slipped out:

“And h-how big are you?”

Lucy froze the moment the last word was uttered; where did that come from?! It was nothing like her! Why did she ask him that! It was bad, oh so bad. But now the damage was done; she had no idea how to repair it. The only thing left to do was wait for his reaction.

Sting closed his mouth, blinking. Did he hear it right? Really? She surprised him, he had not expected such a blunt question. Was she for real? But then, did it mean she _was_ impressed after all? What a boost to his ego. So, he smirked.

“Ah, I see someone’s interested in—”

“You know what, forget it.” Lucy turned scarlet and mumbled, still startled.

“Oh, no. I will answer. But I need clarification.”

“B-but—”

“You’re asking about it when erect…” Sting smiled mischievously, watching her burning from embarrassment. “Or flaccid?”

“The fuck, I—”

“Answer.”

“You’re such a prick!”

“So I’ve been told. So? Which is it?”

She took a moment, unwillingly considering the question. Finally, she murmured. “Could be both.”

“What was that?”

“U-um, could be both.” The woman whispered, closing her eyes. It was mortifying, to say it out loud.

“What a curious girl.” He leaned closer so that he could reach her ear. Sting took a deep breath in and said sensually. “The girth… well, you _saw_ me, thickness is definitely not a problem. As to the length… Normally, it’s roughly 12cm… Hmm…” He took a moment to enjoy her perplexity, then came even closer. “And when I’m hard… I’m rather big…”

“M-meaning?” Heartfilia really tried to stand her ground, yet, she was becoming terrified of the guy’s closeness. It was uncomfortable and was making her uneasy. As if the topic was not bad enough on its own.

“Seriously, Lucy… You know I’m hard now… Why don’t you check it out for yourself?”

She emitted an undefined sound and jumped back from him, her eyes wide and panicking. She could not help it; his behavior was reminding her of _that_ and she was truly petrified. Still, he stayed in place, which managed to stop her from escaping. _He’s just teasing… Take it easy. Breathe._ The blonde took a shaky breath, gulped, and then in spite of herself glanced down. _Holy shit,_ he was telling the truth.

Sting raised his brow, then backed away slowly. At last, he saved the situation by snickering and dismissing the situation. “A simple no would’ve been enough. I’m 17,5cm.”

“I-I see.” Lucy mumbled and covered her face with both hands. “Also, sorry for that. You… Terrified me.”

“I never wanted to.”

“I know. Don’t take it personally, it’s just—”

“Hey, wanna talk about it?” He asked her gently.

“I’d rather not.”

The man nodded and changed the topic, to which she was grateful. “Fine. Then tell me, why did you get mad when I asked you about the grace in your moves?”

Lucy accepted the question without hesitance, happy to direct his attention to another thing. “U-um, you see, after my Mom’s death, my life was a one big fake one. Relations with my Father were fake, my life was kind of artificial. That is, until I left.”

“Ran away.” Sting corrected her.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I must say you impressed me.”

Lucy frowned. What? “Why?”

“Because I wouldn’t have guts to do it all.” He stated seriously. “I didn’t. Simply couldn’t leave.”

She remained silent; now that she knew his situation, there was not a supposed counterargument to present to him. “Maybe it was stupidity.”

“Maybe.” Eucliffe agreed after a moment.

“Okay… Let’s see, have you ever gone out with a girl you didn’t like?”

“Of course. Have you, with a guy?”

“No.”

“Picky.”

“No. Rather inaccessible.”

“You know you’re challenging me? And my _vainglory_ and _virility_ are being called into question?”

But Lucy gapped at him, then started to laugh, losing all her seriousness. He frowned and crossed his arms. “What?”

“How do you even know those words?!” She giggled out.

“I’m smart, alright? Anyway, that wasn’t nice.”

“Sorry, sorry. But it was too funny.” The woman sighed and waved her hand delicately. “I’m not challenging you.”

However, Sting was serious. His eyes were solemn, startling.

“And what if I get you eventually?”

“Thanks, but thanks.” She grew a little sad again. “You’d be only hurting yourself. And I will not have that.”

Sting seemed like he wanted to share his opinion on the matter, but gave up and refilled the glasses. “I say we drink.”

* * *

 

A few hours later, they both were completely drunk. And naked. The next games were more successful than the one with the questions and Lucy had to admit, she had fun. Naturally, the numbing effect of the booze helped. Still, it got late eventually and Sting decided to go home. They stood up and stumbled, laughing.

“Stng, youure you don wansstay? (Sting, you sure you don’t want to stay?)” She tried to be serious, but just could not. Everything was blurred and her head was spinning. The words were barely uttered and hardly made sense, but the drunk guy seemed to catch the meaning.

“Stay’nd what?” Sting tried to make it sound seducing, or so she assumed, but it turned out funny.

“Stay’nd sleep… t’get sober’ll (till) tomorrow.” Lucy giggled.

“Nnno, nsafe. (not safe)  I mean… I couddo (could do) something t’you.” He murmured, ogling her. “Sssexy as hell an’naked. I c-can’think straight. I rlly don’t wan’to dis-disrespect’u. But I’d lov to show ya what’a man’s touch can do…”

It was the alcohol that prevented her from blushing and grimacing. “Okay. Go home. I… consent!”

“Still… Y’sure don’t wanna have any more fun?”

“Sure. I mean ayam. (I am)” Lucy nodded and caught her head. “Oh… It’spinning too much!”

“’kay then.” Sting braced himself on the wall. “I’ll go. Now. I think.”

He started making his way to the front door, forgetting about his state of clothing. Or lack thereof.

“You should wear something.” She noticed, laughing. “Your clo- _hic-_ thes prefe-prefera-rably.”

“Right.” He looked down at himself. “Hell, but wha’for?”

“It’s cold.” Lucy sat on the floor and managed to coordinate her speech better. “And people’llb staring. Do you want to give them a show?”

“Not really.”

“Should I give you your clothes?”

“I can get’em on my own… Unless you wanna dress me up.” His eyes twinkled.

“Sting, just jump into your pants.”

“Okay…”

He stumbled to an armchair where his clothes were and almost fell when he raised one leg to pull on his boxers. Lucy, who tried not to look, turned her head to him when she heard the row and snickered. Sting grinned a little apologetically and managed to dress up. However, when he finally managed to put his second arm into the sleeve, he tried to button up his shirt… And could not. The woman was already dying from laughter on the floor, but upon seeing his expression and efforts, she completely lost it and tears went down her cheeks.

“Help me then!” He rolled his eyes, landing on the sofa.

“G-go on, buahahaa, sorryyyy!” Lucy uttered, laughing maniacally.

“Women…” Sting mumbled and slowly handled the buttons. At last, he stood up and passed to the hall where he slipped into his sneakers and jacket.

Heartfilia managed to collect herself enough to stand up and wrap some sheet she found around herself. She smiled at the man and chuckled at his expression.

“Text me when you get home. I want to know if I should organize a rescue party in case you fall asleep on a bus stop or a sidewalk…”

“Fine.” Sting cracked a lazy smile. “Thanks for the crazy night!”

“Thank _you_ , Sting.” She replied and winked. “Be safe.”

* * *

 

Lucy was trying to clean up the mess, but it proved to be quite a challenge since her drunken state did not allow her to see clearly and stand still. Thus, she dismissed it with a wave of her hand and went straight to bed, grabbing her phone.

She was beginning to fall asleep when the device beeped. A little confused, she looked at it and saw that Sting messaged her.

_Home. Dizzy. Not good._

Lucy knew the struggle. She was also nauseous. Nevertheless, she giggled and replied, afterwards closing the cellphone and drifting away.

_Glad you’re safe. Have some vitamins now and orange juice in the morning, it should help._

 


	7. Levy's Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me forever and a half to post this. Sorry, college and work are just depriving me of any personal time. Enjoy!

For the next month, Lucy and Sting were meeting on the established days and, quite presumably, Saturday became a day they would hang out. Even though they opted for the usual pastimes like watching films all night, playing video games, or one introducing the other to new things, it was fine. The bond was still forming, and growing with each encounter. The deep and philosophical conversations they were having, Sting asking about some women stuff and how to read it and Lucy pleading for him to explain things she could not comprehend about men were more bonding than jumping out of their clothes. Which did not change the fact that Lucy was becoming more and more at ease with the man. Moreover, she was getting used to his humor, his company, and his commentaries, usually arrogant or teasing. Of course, it did not mean that she had let go of her fear… She did not. But she got better at handling it.

Yes. He was there every single week. And it was what constantly surprised her. The man always chose to spend the Saturday with her. His friends had to be cross with him, did they not? After all, he was choosing her in a way… Which made her heart swell a little. She felt only a tiny bit important, and it was refreshing. The acceptance he offered and the enjoyment of the meetings were like a balm to her solitude. Lucy was beyond grateful.

Still, the following Saturday was Halloween and she forgot to ask him about it. After all, he _had to_ have plans already. Or if not yet, then he would. So it was a well-timed coincidence when, the next day, she was talking to Levy on Skype and she invited her friend over for the night. They agreed that Friday was a good day since on Saturday the blonde was meeting with Sting again. And the posing session could be postponed to another day. Or simply called off. It was Halloween, after all. Thus, Lucy wrote to the man immediately.

_Hey, Sting! This Saturday is Halloween, so I guess we won’t meet as we usually do. Also, my friend’s coming over on Friday, so can we cancel our session? Is that okay?_

_Sure, no prob. Say hi from me and have fun._

“He said yes!” Lucy squealed into the microphone, making Levy grimace because of the loud sound. “And says hi.”

“Awesome! So, what do I bring? And hey, thanks. I guess.”

“Yourself… And whatever you like to drink or eat.” The blonde grinned. “I can’t wait to see you, Lev! I’ve missed you so much.”

“I feel you, Lu.” Levy sighed, then smirked. “And I think you’d be pretty excited to hear that I’m staying for the next week, too! We can go party sometime.”

“That’s amazing news! But the party… U-uh, really?” She frowned. “Partying equals looking nice, and that equals anxiety… I don’t know.”

“Okay, we’ll see.” McGarden rolled her eyes. “But you know I can get you round.”

Lucy sighed. She was right. “Yeah, I know.”

* * *

 

All in all, Levy relented and agreed to spending time at the blonde’s apartment. When Lucy finished cleaning the house, she texted Levy.

_Okay, Lev. I’m done so you can move your tiny ass and come over._

_Cool, be there in 10._

Lucy smiled. It was great to have a best friend having a place so close. She could come over whenever she liked, and even though Levy needed three hours to drive to the town, she never complained about travelling. If she had time to come, that is. Waiting for her best friend, the blonde sat down and relaxed in front of the TV, watching some soap opera. Suddenly, her phone beeped. Thinking that Levy probably forgot the number of her apartment, she grabbed it and read the text; she was more than surprised to find that Sting messaged her.

_Hey, having fun?_

Lucy smiled and shook her head with disbelief. Really?

_Not yet, she’s coming in five._

_I see. Well then, I just wanted to say hi since I got used to keep in touch with you._

The woman frowned. Again, really? Yet, before she could reply, a second text came.

_Sorry, it turned out stranger than I thought it would!_

She started typing, but right then the doorbell rang. Excited, she texted Sting that she got to go and jumped to the door.

“Lu!” A short bluenette standing outside exclaimed, throwing herself at her friend.

“Levy!”

The women hugged each other tightly, laughing. “Oh gods, I missed you so much!”

“Me, too. It’s been a while.”

“Lemme look at you.” Levy backed away and eyed her critically before breaking into a grin. “Pf! Gorgeous as ever. Nothing’s changed!”

“And you’ve lost weight again. I take it you’re still keeping the diet?” The blonde smiled widely. She knew her friend’s obsession with healthy food and diets.

“I’m trying. I haven’t dropped out yet. For the whole week!” She stated proudly. “Ahh, I brought some beer and snacks.”

“In the name of the diet?”

“Hush, we see each other so rarely that a diet can wait.”

“Great.” Lucy snickered and led her friend to the kitchen. “Just put the snacks in some bowls and—”

“Hell, you drank the whole bottle of tequila?!” Levy exclaimed when she opened the garbage cabinet. “And whiskey? _And_ wine? Chick, you weren’t dawdling around…”

“I-it wasn’t me! At least not alone.” She blushed. “Sting—”

“You’ve drank that much and he still hasn’t put his hands on you?”

“Well, he respects me and my… phobia.”

“Maybe for now. Till one day, Lu.” Levy warned her and began taking the snacks out into the bowls and on the plates.

“N-no. I hope not…”

“Y’know, that wouldn’t be too surprising. You stimulate his senses, and he’s a man. Unless he’s gay.”

“Oh, definitely not!” Heartfilia denied quickly, then blushed and added: “There’s nothing wrong with being gay, it’s just that he… reacts… to me.”

Levy eyed her with seriousness and whistled. “Wow. I am impressed. There’s a small chance he’ll change you back to normal.”

“W-what?”

“You don’t _want_ him to prefer men because you want him to prefer _you_. Oh WOW.”

Lucy shook her head lamely, then made a step ahead, crossing her arms and admitting. “I don’t know. All I know is that… I think he already changed me a little…”

The bluenette turned back to the snacks and continued taking them out. “This conversation has to wait a second. It’s too important to discuss it over crisps. When we’re seated, we’ll continue.”

“Sure. Hey, wanna listen to a new jazz album I’ve bought?”

“Sure, I love jazz.”

The women quickly gathered and brought everything they would need to the living room. Lucy played the album and hurried on the sofa, her steps light. Levy was observing her best friend with a small smile. Lucy noticed that and stopped, eyeing the petite woman suspiciously.

“What?”

“Nothing. Good to see that you’re more normal than I thought.”

Lucy pouted. “Would you stop already? I handled it, y’know.”

“Not entirely.”

“No, but it’s only normal, isn’t it? You can’t expect me to simply move on.”

Inside, Levy thanked the heavens above for the blonde’s project and the necessity to work with that male friend of hers, then nodded eagerly, agreeing. “Absolutely.”

The blonde shifted awkwardly, then smirked. “And Lev, how’s that guy who was around you for the last year?” She sat beside her friend and took a cookie.

“U-um, he’s nowhere near me anymore…” She sighed and made a sad face. “Turned out he was a multi-timer… And I wasn’t even the first one on his list.”

“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” Lucy’s mouth fell open, then she embraced the other woman. “I didn’t know, I… H-how?”

McGarden grabbed a bottle with her beer and raised it. “To the whole night of gossiping and talking shit about scums like Droy!”

“To secrets being secrets no more.” Intonated Lucy and grasped her own beer just to clash it with Levy’s and drink a few sips. She hummed and gulped the liquid down her throat. “Now, tell me more. What happened? I thought he was crazy about you.”

“You know, the usual.” Levy sniffled. “It’s so ironic! I met a man of my dreams… And then I met his beautiful fiancée, then stumbled upon his girlfriends… It was all a complete coincidence. The dickhead did not even mean to inform me. So I made a small hell for him…” Levy sneered. “Okay. Not so small.”

“Good. Care to elaborate?”

“Oh, you know, Lu, I’m not called a little devil for nothing. Obviously, after I was done, I told all of the poor women the truth and that’s it, I don’t wanna see that asshole ever again. And I’m not planning on getting a man for longer now. Nor do I want something more serious… Not after another failure. You know. I just need a man who could take care of my small caprices and sexual necessities.”

“Levy, I know you have your reasons, but it’s not gonna work on a long term basis.” Lucy shook her head. “Sure it would be nice to you, but it’s just… You’d have to be heartless.”

“I’m aware.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m close. A guy to sleep with is all I need.”

“Levy!”

“Don’t start, Lu. You should understand. You’re the one who shut all the others out.”

Heartfilia flinched. “You are the one who knows everything about it. How can you imply…”

“I imply nothing. I just stated the fact. That’s why I’m twice as glad about your project.” Levy winked, jumping to another topic.

Lucy sighed. She saw that coming. “Really…”

“Do you have anything yet? Can I see it?”

“Not yet, honey. It’s absolutely not ready.” She mused, then huffed. “But I have a sketch I did on the first meeting… Wanna see it?”

“Oh gosh, hell yeah!”

Lucy stood to open her folder and take out the sketch of Sting she had done. Levy snatched it out of her hands and brought the paper to her eyes. Inspecting the drawing took her a few long, silent minutes during which a pleased smile appeared on her lips.

“Damn, he’s hot.”

“I guess.”

“And so muscled!”

“Yeah, well…”

“And has dreamy features… Of course, from what I see here _and_ my imagination tells me.” Levy quickly added, seeing Lucy’s opening mouth. “And… Oh.”

“What?”

“His—”

“Yeah. Well. Anyway, I’ll show you the real thing the next time we see each other, sunshine, because I’ll have half of it done, I suppose.”

“How can you be so cool about it?” McGarden shook her head. “I mean, you pose all naked. Both of you. It’s just… Uh! Asking for _something._ You’re opposite sex. Nature demands action. His member demands action, too. So, hello? Is there even chemistry?”

“I don’t know how to sense it.” Lucy sat down next to her and covered her face. “Nor do I want to… But I think there is chemistry. Strong. Levy, I’m scared. He’s joking about it all the time, plus we have very fun and daring Saturdays—”

“You’re moving fast.” The bluenette smirked.

“Not like that! On the first one, we were playing strip games and talking… And he simply went home. And now, we meet every Saturday to just hang out.”

Lucy decided to keep his drunken offers to herself, knowing her best friend would read them as she pleases.

“Strange that he didn’t suggest anything after the first meeting. But since you meet every week… it explains the bottles now.”

“Yeah.”

“And he’s not making any move on you? Are you _sure_ he isn’t gay?” Levy asked with reproach.

“He’s not.”

“And how would you know?”

“Because…” Lucy’s eyes widened. “B-because…”

“You assumed it. But you know that a naked woman, of your form particularly, would be a turn on to a blind. Hell, even to a straight woman!”

“Stop joking around.”

“Oh, Lu. Be a little more realistic, would you?”

“It’s… Not that easy after those years.” She laughed forcefully. “Still, you know, we’re so similar in some aspects… I wonder if I could really treat him with distance.”

“Like you did with other guys who tried to do as much as talk to you?”

“Exactly.” She sent Levy a half-hearted glare.

“But, Lu, seems to me that you already let him come closer than you thought.”

Lucy only sighed and shrugged weakly. “Anyway, tomorrow’s Halloween. Any plans?”

“Well. In the morning, we start making all the muffins and sweets for later. Then! We’re going out, scaring people, of course! And after that we’re watching horror movies till we fall asleep—“

“Or not.” The blonde snickered. “I remember how scared you were in junior year, we had to keep reassuring you there wasn’t any maniac with an ax behind your door and that there was no monster with eighteen tentacles and a head of a clown under your bed.”

“Shut up.” Levy scowled, but blushed. “And should I remind you that you refused to step into a museum because there was a doll that looked like Chucky in the entrance?”

“Because I hate Chucky!” She cried. “And you were trying to push me in—“

“And there came Natsu, who—“

Abruptly, silence fell and Levy looked terrified of what she had said. Lucy, on the other hand, felt nauseous and paled significantly. Her eyes widened and she seemed to shrink in herself.

“I, I am so, s-so sorry, Lucy…” McGarden stuttered. “So freaking sorry! I-I didn’t think, I—“

“Enough.” She said in a faint voice. “Just… talk to me about anything.”

The bluenette did not question it and changed the topic completely, describing Erza’s last date with Jellal and why it was so funny. It diverted her attention well enough. Yet, when Levy mentioned Mirajane Strauss, Heartfilia mused and thought about asking about the whitehead’s boyfriend. Should she do it? At last, she could not help herself and cleared her throat.

“Say, Levy, does a name Laxus tell you something?” Lucy frowned.

“Why, yeah. He’s with Mirajane since forever.” The bluenette clicked her tongue. “Why do you ask?”

“Ah! Never mind.” The blonde blushed and averted her sight. “Do you happen to know if he has a brother? Or where he’s from?”

“How would I know? But, more importantly, why do _you_ wanna know?”

“Ah, you see… I’ve got a small suspicion and I want to confirm it before I decide to help S— er, someone.” Lucy smiled lightly. “I’ll talk to Mira later on, then.”

“Lu, does it concern Sting?” Levy grinned teasingly.

“Not necessarily.” She replied coldly and looked away. “And how’s Lisanna?”

* * *

 

After several hours, when Levy left, Lucy cleaned the mess they had created and finally took her phone to check the hour. Yet, she bit her lip and decided to write to Sting—after all, he was nice enough to text her earlier and ask about the meeting. So, she typed quickly.

_Levy said hi back, but I couldn’t send it to you earlier._

The reply came pretty soon and she smiled.

_Oh, thanks. Yeah, I thought so, that you forgot about me._

_Of course not. We were having a VSTC._

_A what?_

Lucy giggled and could imagine the guy chuckling on the other end of the conversation.

_A Very Serious Topics Conversation._

_Mm. Sounds fascinating… Did any of those Serious Topics involve me?_

“Really, now…” She muttered. He was simply self-centered at times!

_Maybe._

_Flattering._

_Hey, I never said in what context we talked about or even badmouthed you._

_Aw, you wouldn’t._

_Who knows._

_Anyway, had a good time? Did you make plans for Halloween?_

Lucy blinked. Why, did he think about inviting her? He had tried to take her out with his friends, but never succeeded. Did he think that Halloween would be any different? The phone beeped again and she raised her brows, seeing he was asking if everything was alright; apparently, she spaced out.

_Yes, thank you, Sting. I just… I’m just thinking about a few matters I touched with my friend._

_What can two girls your age talk about with each other? Boys, cocks, partying, clothes?_

_Damn, Sting. Really? And what’s up with those cocks, interested?_

_I’m not gay, Lucy Heartfilia._

Before she could think, she wrote:

_I know._

“Crap.” Lucy muttered. He would question it, no doubt.

And she was right about it.

_Oh? You say you know. How, if I may?_

_Sting… Don’t take it wrong. I just… assumed._

_Chill, I was kidding._

_Aww, you’re such a teaser._

_Also a skilled pleaser._

_You just have to say that stuff…_

_Of course. I’m a teaser, after all._

Out of the blue, she tapped her fingers and allowed her hands to type the following words:

_Sting, have you heard from your brother at some point after… You know?_

Before second thoughts invaded her, she sent it. Realizing what she had done, Lucy swore. She really did not mean to say that so abruptly… She knew it was a difficult topic for him. The silence that replied her was a proof enough. Only after several minutes did he answer.

_What?_

The blonde swore again and face-palmed. Stupid, stupid girl! She should have not touched that topic… Sting said it himself, he did not want to have anything to do with his brother. His brother, who abandoned him, left with an abusive father… That was nothing like a brother. That had no other traits apart from a name. All that was left after his sorry ass. Thus, trying to fix the situation, she decided to take it back.

_Don’t be upset. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said it so abruptly… Sting. Sorry._

_It’s alright, I think… But it was rather sudden… Why?_

Lucy wondered whether she should answer that; however, Sting directly asked about it. _That_ she could not ignore, so she replied.

_Ah. You see, I was wondering… His name was Laxus, right?_

_What are you getting at?_

_Do you want to meet him?_

_Damn, woman, start talking._

_Um… Don’t get mad, but I think I know where he is. And who he is._

_…_

Lucy was waiting, staring at the last message from him, the three dots. She was nervous and a strand of guilt was sewing its way through her. It was a mistake. She could not take it back. The damage was done. She made him ponder the topic which hurt him. At last, not able to bear the guilt, she decided to call him.

Fortunately, he answered.

“Yeah?”

Lucy felt a cold, unpleasant shiver crawling down her spine. His voice was different; it was not right. He sounded like he was tired, or exhausted, or simply extremely sad…

“S-Sting… I’m s-sorry, forget it. I’ll never mention any of it again if you don’t want me to—”

“No, it’s—”

“I promise. Just, please, don’t sound like this.” Lucy sniffled. Great, just what she needed. To tear up on the phone with him.

“What?”

“You sound like the unhappiest person in the world. Please. You don’t deserve it.” She whispered and thumbed off her tears. “It was so reckless, so stupid of me. I’m an idiot, I shouldn’t have—”

“Hold it, Heartfilia. I’m not mad at you.”

“N-no?” She blinked. “But I made you sad.”

“It’s okay.” Sting said quietly. “It’s just… You know. It hurts a little.”

Lucy remained silent and waited. She knew that in such moments, one should listen to the other without any complaint. Even though she felt like she was not the right person to confide in, she had no heart to tell him to stop.

“You know, I used to admire him for having guts to leave our lovely household…” Sting told her bitterly, softly. “I mean, he broke free! Laxus had his own life! Yeah…”

“Yeah?” She whispered.

“I just thought that… He would have a place for me in his new, fantastic life. Granted, we were not best friends, but we were brothers by blood. Well… He did not. Just like there were no traces of Laxus after he left.”

“This is terrible. Must’ve been terrible for a little boy…” The woman sighed comfortingly.

“Yeah. And you know, Lucy, it still lives within me. The bitterness, the anger. I-I don’t know if I want to see him.”

“I completely understand.” She admitted. “No wonder, you’re still indignant and feel betrayed… But consider it. Mainly for yourself.”

“For myself?” The man repeated in thoughtfulness.

“Exactly. You’d stop feeling so damn sad, resentful… guilty.”

“Who said I was feeling guilty?” Instantly, he replied. His tone was cold and wry.

“Come on…” She whispered. “It is kind of obvious…”

“I-I gotta go. Have no idea what you’re trying to achieve, but stop. I know you want best, but… Don’t. Just don’t, Lucy.”

The woman widened her eyes and took a sharp breath in, her heart falling. He did not want her help. He did not appreciate it, not that it was anything shocking. He also did not want to meet with his brother. She understood. Despite them being family in blood, they were never one on the outside. And even though she had expected such an answer, it did not please her.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Sting?”

There was a moment of silence before a wry: “Yeah?”

Lucy bit her lips and wanted to slap herself. He sounded frustrated and lost, and it was her fault. “T-take care.”

And she quickly hung up before she started crying while still on the line.

 


	8. Fight and Fascination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. She was a quiet young woman who preferred to stay alienated. That is, until she was put into a project together with the most handsome and desired man from her faculty and was forced to model for each other... naked. Now, Lucy's forced to face her demons and trauma from the past as she slowly falls in love with her sexy partner who does everything to make her fall for him. Involves drama with jealous Angel, family issues, referenced rape, sexual content. Rating will go up. // Edited and changed for more graphic and explicit than the original version on FF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't changed anything in this chapter. I guess I like it the way it is, squeezing something more in it would be a little pointless.  
> Thanks for the support and enjoy~

Two days later at college, Lucy was in a toilet, thinking about the project. And, naturally, about Sting, which was certainly connected to the matter. She had locked herself in a cabin in need of solitude. There were so many matters she had to consider… She had to think peacefully.

The Halloween had been an event she had not enjoyed for the last three years. Levy forced her into a costume and they had a night of receiving kids, giving out candy, playing pranks on some brash children and some unsuspecting adults passing under their window. The blonde felt like a child again, and it was liberating. Then, the women settled for watching horror movies for the rest of the night. Or rather till they fell asleep on the sofa in front of the TV.

In spite of tiredness, Lucy did not sleep long. Her phone beeped a few times, waking her up. With an unhappy hum she reached to grab the cell and only did she wake up when she realized who had texted her. _Sting._ And he had sent her some photos from their party, to which she replied with her own. They chatted amicably and never got back to the conversation from the night before, choosing to pretend it never happened.

And Sting… Considering his determination to keep in touch with her, which was a little startling, Lucy was under an impression that he wanted to really know her. Plus, he was absolutely delighted by the fact that she—someone—wanted to find out about him, _him_ as an individual. Still, Lucy had wanted to know too much too fast, apparently. And she understood his hesitance. After the strange situation with her intervening into his family matters, they had not returned to the topic. She had decided not to mention it anymore—unless he himself decided otherwise. Still, Lucy knew that his thoughts oscillated around the matter whenever Sting was sitting alone or posing. And she could not stop blaming herself for causing that.

At some point, her musing was interrupted by shutting door and then a voice that she immediately recognized as Angel’s. Her high, unpleasant tone was resounding in the room, impossible to ignore. So, Lucy stayed silent and listened. Apparently, she came there with a friend both to fix her makeup and gossip.

“Really, I have no idea what he’s thinking anymore!”

“But who do you mean?”

“Sting, of course.” The white-haired woman spat, disappointment and bite clear in her tone. Having heard that, the blonde tensed up. She suspected, just _knew_ what was coming. “There’s no way he really prefers the company of that idiotic loner over us. Can you believe that, like, he hasn’t even appeared on our regular meetings on Saturdays for _a month_ because he was with her again and again? And he keeps seeing her! I hoped that the project would rather discourage him from getting to know her, but it’s the opposite…”

“Angel, you’re too—”

“Don’t start again.” She hissed. “Please, this is just ridiculous. Her? Really?”

Lucy, who had no other choice but to eavesdrop, frowned. Of course Angel would not approve of her. She was also right when it came to the whitehead’s feelings, apparently… Although it seemed that the jealousy was provoked not by love, but rather craving. Suddenly, there was a smashing sound which could be made only by slamming something on the sink. Heartfilia sensed that there was something coming up—and it wouldn’t be good. Moreover, she started to feel annoyed. Who did Angel think she was to talk about others behind their backs, creating gossips?

Apparently, the other girl had no idea what her friend meant.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, please. Why does he go to her every single time?” Angel sighed and continued. “She’s obviously giving him something more, something he wants. Oh, you’re so innocent, looking at me as if I grew another head. Why else would he go there, if not for sex?”

“Oh! No, you’re surely mistaken…”

The women continued talking, but Heartfilia stopped listening, instead focusing on breathing deeply. Upon hearing the accusation, so blunt and so unfair, she saw red. How dared she! Angel had literally no idea what was happening on the meetings, nor did Sting share with his friends how difficult it was to her. How hard it had used to be to undress and how much work they had put into the project to make it better. A part of her was beyond grateful for that, relieved she could trust him entirely, but then there was a side which was boiling from rage.

It was maddening. How could anyone be creating rumors like that? And how could one clarify them?

Angel was begging for trouble.

“But what I don’t understand is _why_ he does her,” She added, ignoring the other woman saying anything. “When he could bang _me_.”

At that, Lucy simply couldn’t hold it anymore. She stormed out of the cabin, making the two women turn around in alarm. Angel seemed stunned; she was standing with her mascara brush, speechlessly staring at the blonde, the object of her jealousy and worries, with a ridiculous expression. The other one was Yukino, the silent girl from their year, and she seemed mortified.

Lucy crossed her arms, hands fisted and eyes narrowed.

“How dare you say such things about me?” Lucy inquired slowly, almost calmly, although anger was boiling within her. It was one thing not to like someone, but spreading such rumors classified as defamation. Also, it concerned Sting and his honor. After everything the man had done and told her, she felt obliged to defend him. “No, know what? Screw me, but about Sting, who’s supposed to be your friend?!”

“Oh, shut up, I _know_ the truth, alright? It doesn’t matter we’re friends, which, by the way, gives me a right to judge him. I know him! Better than some stray, piteous artist who has no friends. And I simply _hate_ it that you’re—” Angel spat, coming out of the shock, but Heartfilia cut her off.

“You know _nothing_ , Angel. I can’t believe you could thing so low of your own friend, to whom, supposedly, you are attracted!” The blonde shook her head in disbelief. “You don’t know me, you can say whatever you want, fine. Even though spreading rumors is low even for you. But it’s ridiculous that you talk crap about him.”

“Yah, like I care what _you_ would think.” The whitehead rolled her eyes, gesticulating with the brush. “Sting won’t know who started the talk. He’ll come back running to his friends when he learns of the dirty rumors about you two. And guess whom he’s gonna believe, huh? Naturally, someone he’s known for a long, long time. Not you. I don’t care about your reputation! But you deserve it; you exchange art for sex, _that_ is ridiculous.”

“I… We… I do not!” Lucy uncrossed her arms and clenched her fists, her fingers white from the force she put in it. “And stop offending Sting! How can you even think that he’d fuck anyone on his way, that he only thinks about… About getting some…”

“Oh, come on. Are you really that daft? He’s a man.” Again, Angel rolled her eyes. Then, she eyed the opposition and smirked. “But I’m glad to hear that he hasn’t done you. I mean, let’s be honest. Why would he do you when he has me? No matter how convenient you may be…”

Heartfilia gasped and trembled in anger. Her legs moved on their own and made a step ahead. Reading her body language right, the other woman took a step back, at the same time bumping into the sink and smacking her nose with the mascara brush she was still bearing.

Lucy stopped. It cost her a lot to just control her temper and not to smack the bitch in front of her. At last, she only raised her head and stated, although it was hard for her to say it. “I am no worse than you and there is nothing that I lack. But I’m not a whore. And surely neither is Sting. And I really think you should respect him and his choices, plus stop gossiping.”

Having said that, she stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Angel with a shocked expression behind.

* * *

Lucy was expecting the woman to take revenge on her soon, but would not have thought of that she would act so quickly. She was already home, sitting peacefully on her bed, reading, when there was a doorbell ring. She frowned, her intuition telling her to ignore it, but stood up, hoping that her feelings were wrong.

Not bothering with the eyehole, she opened the door, revealing Sting Eucliffe with hands tugged into his pockets. He didn’t look overly happy. If anything, he seemed pissed. And barely in control of his temper.

 _Uh oh_.

“Can I come in for a moment?” He asked wryly.

In reply, Lucy just nodded, full of bad impressions. She did not want to speak unnecessarily in fear of riling him up even more. The man stepped inside, not looking at her anymore. She could see his tensed muscles and his frown, which was clear enough of a message to her. Eucliffe stopped in the hall and turned round when he heard the door closing. Nonetheless, he still avoided looking at her.

Finally, he almost barked: “Is that true?”

“What? What is?”

“Angel came to me with tears in her eyes, claiming that you were mean to her.” Sting said sternly, slowly, but it was clear that he was angry. With each question, his voice was louder and louder. “Why did you argue with her? Why were you rude? And I thought you didn’t think of me as of a pervert? So what are you even thinking, running around the department and blabbing about it around?”

“Excuse me?” Lucy raised her brows and crossed her arms. “I wasn’t—”

“And yet she came to me, crying! She overheard you—”

“In the bathroom?”

“Exactly! So it _is_ true!”

She flinched. He actually raised his voice on her… She hit the roof, too. “So you’re taking it for granted, not asking me if it’s true anymore?!”

“Fuck, do you even hear yourself? You just admitted it!”

“I did not and not gonna!” She exclaimed, furious. “I didn’t say a thing that was rude or mean! Why would I, even though she was the one who was offending _me_! And you, for that matter!”

“And you’re turning the situation upside down?!” Sting clenched his fists, sputtering in rage. “How dare you! I thought I knew you!”

“You do.” Lucy blew her bangs back with irritation. “Maybe you should look a little further.”

“You know what, I’m out of here.” He growled and rushed to the door. “I want you to rethink it all. And apologize to her. To us, actually. Until then, I don’t want to see you.”

The man threw the door open and stomped out in a blink of an eye.

Lucy gapped after him for a second, but then her ability to speak returned and she hurried behind. He was already halfway down. So, she stopped on the stairs and yelled after the running man.

“I didn’t want to tell you, but fine, you asked for it! Then I’m sorry for defending your sorry ass! I’ll remember to never do that again, you idiot! And if you don’t believe me, ask Yukino, who was a witness of everything! Moron!”

Sting did not answer, but she heard the door shutting downstairs. Unable to take her anger out on anything, she stomped with force. She was so enraged! How dared he come to her and have such a row! Suddenly, the door in front of her flat opened and an old man peeked out, scared.

“Miss Lucy, is everything all right?” He asked shakily.

She sighed and straightened her back. Now, the anger was fading away, leaving her on the verge of tears. “Yes, Mr. Granson… Thanks, though.”

The old man scrutinized her. “Are you sure? Maybe you’d appreciate a cup of tea?”

The woman gazed at him. She wanted to talk to someone… Just not yet. Thus, she shook her head and declined the offer, then turned around and started walking away.

“Don’t worry, young lady. He will realize it soon. The truth.” Her neighbor called after her; she turned her head to him, bobbed it, and went into her flat, closing the door gently.

Immediately, she headed to the bathroom and filled the bath, fighting with tears.

Why? Why was she crying over a fight with some guy?

Well, because he was not just any guy anymore.

She felt terrible. In fact, a part of her that had started opening up to Sting, and through that to the world again, had been let down—again. He had chosen sides without even hearing her out. He believed Angel. Did she mean so little as to not even be counted? Lucy had a feeling as if the light that had been turned on within her was suddenly gone. And there she was, in darkness, all alone again.

* * *

All in all, the blonde did not go to college the next day. Nor did she go to Sting for the posing session; she was too bitter for that. Besides, he had made it clear he did not want her there until she had apologized. And she suspected that he had not changed his mind, fed with lies of Angel.

Therefore, the woman stayed home. She was mostly spacing out, be it in bed or anywhere else. Lucy spent the whole day, ghosting around the house and trying to find herself a right place. Still, she fit nowhere; she felt let down. She also felt sorry for not waiting for Angel and Yukino to go away. So much could have been avoided if she had done just that. But no, she had had to get out and make a fuss. However, she could not stand them talking about Sting like that. He was truly a good guy and did not deserve anything like that. Actually, she was thankful for being with him in group for the project and for having a friend in him. Or she _had_ had a friend in him…

The next two days were similar. She spent them at her apartment, doing nothing. Even the littlest things annoyed her and even when she received a phone call from her friend, Erza, she was forced to break the conversation after scarcely five minutes of it due to the wretched humor. Lucy apologized to the woman and promised to call her up as soon as she felt better.

Eventually, there came Friday. Fed up with the sulking, Lucy forced herself to move. She cleaned up the house and had a long, relaxing bath to forget all about the stupid man. The matter was still making her blood boil. On one hand, she understood his reluctance to claim Angel as the liar. She had been his friend for… Heaven knows how long. And Lucy… She was a new person in his life and he owed her nothing. No matter how friendly they had been acting. Subconsciously, the woman started to prepare herself for a change of partners. If the man would not change his mind, she would have to work with someone else. The idea itself was dreadful… But possible.

Which led to thinking about the consequences on both sides. Eucliffe already knew her… It would be extremely difficult to let him go as it is now. He did not understand her insecurities yet… If ever. But there was no telling how angry he was at her. If he was mad, he could spill the beans to the others. Maybe.

Lucy grimaced. No. It was not like him.

But the next person… What if she had gotten another man, but less understanding than him? Being partners with someone far worse would lead to mental problems on her part. Or, should she say, a comeback of those.

Anxiety overwhelmed her. What ifs were hammering in her mind, creating a headache. It was stupid, she knew, to determine what everything would go like.

And she gave up to her fears.

Her mind remained at unease for no longer than till 2pm, though, because at that hour someone called at her door.

Frowning, she stood up. She did not expect anyone to come by. She was still giddy and shaky, but the ring managed to pull her out of her limbo. So, the woman went to see who decided to pay her a visit. However, when she glanced through the eyehole, she could not hold a sharp breath in.

 _What is he doing here?!_ Shock consumed her, replacing the anxiety completely. But… He was supposed to be angry. Offended. Not talking to her.

Yet, Sting Eucliffe was under her door, and he was visibly nervous.

Lucy sighed and, putting a skeptic expression on, opened up. He was there, standing with his hands in pockets, weary. He was not looking her in the eyes, hell, he was not even looking at her at all.

"Hi." Sting muttered. "Can I... Um?"

"I don't know. Last time, it was not a pleasant meeting..." Lucy said, but then, seeing him confused, she huffed. "Just kidding. Sure, do come in."

He stepped inside at once and caught a glimpse of her. Unable to say what he was thinking, she raised one brow at him and told him to undress and get comfortable. He partly followed her instructions—at least the first part.

"Anything to drink?"

"Um, some coffee, maybe, if it’s not too much trouble..."

The woman nodded and passed right in front of him, trying to provoke the man to look at her. And, frankly, to hide her own emotions. She was giddy again, but from another reason. Since he came there, it meant he rethought the situation… Right? So, there was no reason to change partners, and— But wait, she was getting ahead of time. Better wait and see what he had to say. So, she set the water in the kitchen. Having noticed that Sting did not follow and was  probably still standing in the hallway, she rolled her eyes and exclaimed: "You really don't have to be stuck there, you know. Come here."

Soon, Eucliffe entered the kitchen and placed himself behind the table. Tense silence embraced them, they both were avoiding each other's sight. Finally, Lucy cleared her throat and looked at him determinately.

"So, what are you doing here? I thought you were dead angry."

He took a moment to consider the question. She did not avert her gaze.

"You were absent." Sting said quietly, frowning at nothing in particular. "From classes, nor did you come to the session."

"Considering your last words, I took it that you'd throw me out if I came, so are you really surprised?" She shrugged.

"I wouldn't throw you out." He glimpsed a her with uproar. "Sure I was mad, but—"

She cut him off.

"Then what made you change your mind?"

Sting's jaws clenched and his form stiffened. He looked like a child caught on taking cookies out of a hideout in the kitchen. "Who said—"

"You. Used the past tense." Lucy crossed her arms and stared at him, trying to provoke him to look at her—like a man should. "So?"

"You're too smart." He sighed and grimaced.

"Happens to me. And?"

"Okay, so after the… event, I was so angry, I couldn't get any place for myself. So, all in all, I started hanging out with my friends more. Only then did I realize that Angel was overly happy and too cheerful for what she had told me. And she was supposed to be all sad and hurt… She was laughing loudly, she was even more flirty and nagging… Overly confident. So I started thinking about the whole thing. And about what you yelled after me and I, no matter how unwillingly, heard. So, when Angel hit the dancefloor, I asked Yukino about it.” He stopped to gulp. “She is a sweet girl, very truthful. She told me everything—and it was completely different from what Angel had told me and… And…"

"And the same with what _I_ told you." Even though she had an extreme urge to tease him, maybe even be snarky, Lucy simply stated.

Sting nodded slowly. "I was shocked. Truly. Angel lied to me. And I still believed her right away, even though the real victim and truth-teller was you." He made a bitter face and finally gazed at her with such intensity, such sincerity and regret that she flinched. "And I did you wrong, even though you were the most honest person there. There's more to that, not only did I do you wrong, but I also refused to listen to you and to your version. In fact, I was an asshole. You were right, I should have looked further."

Lucy was speechless, yet, she still had not gotten an apology… He probably sensed it, because he stood up and reached to his bag just to take out a posy of tulips. She gasped and widened her eyes. Sting adjusted the flowers and came closer to her, that time looking her right in the eyes.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. For offending you, accusing of something you haven't done, and being a prick. Forgive me. I know it's because of me that you were absent at college. Please, accept the flowers."

"I-I… Wow." She managed to utter, gaping at the flowers. Then she looked up at his face. "Um, thank you… It's sweet of you to try so hard. Of course I forgive you—actually, I already did. If I didn't, you'd be still standing at the door."

Sting blinked, then smiled slightly. "Nope. I'd have broken in and begged for forgiveness."

"Yeah, because you care so much."

"I do."

"Well, I'll never know now." Lucy sighed theatrically and smiled, accepting the posy. She turned around to find a vase and put the flowers in it. "But thank you for this. I… I really was a mess when you came here and accused me of everything, then didn't even listen. The last days I spent sulking in here."

"Why? It was just a stupid action of a foolish guy." He cocked a brow at her.

Lucy, who was about to bring the vase to the saloon, stopped and stared at him in thought, considering whether he deserved to know the truth or not. Finally, she sighed, gazing into his eyes with seriousness.

"I don't know… Maybe I got scared of being alone again?"

Then she left, leaving him frozen in place. Maybe she should not have told him that… It was extremely personal, and disturbing. Lucy was about to come back and turn it into a joke, but the man joined her in the living room with a startled expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even think that you could react like this."

"Neither did I." She laughed a little forcefully. There was no point in denying.

"But hey, I also wasn’t too well. It felt so… So bad to be mad at you. Not to talk to you, not to see you." Sting confessed suddenly. He took a few steps toward her, stopping mere centimeters away. She suppressed an urge tot ake a step back, not wanting to hurt him. "Really, I got used to spending time with you. It's so easy to be around such a great person like you."

"Thank you." Lucy smiled a little and turned to the side just barely to give herself space. "You're a great friend, too.”

"Could've been a better friend."

"Oh, stop that. We're all good now." She waved her hand, reaching out and, after hesitation for a moment, patting his shoulder gently.

"Well, yeah. But—"

It was an accident. She never meant to do that. But the woman placed a finger on his lips, making him widen his eyes in amazement. "No buts."

Sting nodded slightly and eyed the finger lingering on his lips… Just to plant a quick peck on it; Lucy budged and hurriedly took it away, blushing. She was not even sure why she had done that… And what was the kiss for. However, especially disturbing was the feeling she had gotten from it; not the expected fear, but abashment and uncertainty. As if she… wanted it… and enjoyed it…

“I was wondering…” He started hesitantly. “Can I spend some time with you? Without any posing, any games. Just like that.” He stopped and added quickly. “Of course, if you’re busy, I can always go and—”

“Sting. Hold on.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. Making sure he was listening, she finished. “And of course you can. I… I rather missed you during those days.”

“Really? That’s, um. The truth is, I missed you, too.” He cleared his throat to conceal his excitement. “You know? This is a hella strange conversation. Can we change the topic?”

“Sure.” Suddenly, she jumped and clapped her hands, her eyes twinkling. “Say, why don’t we go on a small picnic to the park?”

“A picnic? To the park?” Sting repeated and snorted. He leaned against the counter and explained slowly with a smirk. “But I’m pretty sure picnics are good in summer… And it’s winter, Lucy. You know, when there’s snow and cold wind.”

“Yeah, I know that! But I have a place… I mean, there’s one place, an indoor park.”

“This is a very unusual idea…” He replied, then grinned. “But let’s do it! I’ve never been on a picnic, be it anywhere.”

“Really?” She goggled at him. “Fine. Then come on. Help me with the food and we’re off.”

* * *

 

So, within half an hour, the blondes left Lucy’s flat. Sting was carrying a basked, not hiding his excitement. He had also persuaded Lucy to wear a long skirt and a little tighter blouse under the coat, claiming it would do good to her to change her style a bit. She did not argue with that, knowing he was right. So, Lucy was smiling and walking beside him, absolutely delighted about the idea of having a picnic in the city. It was not her first time. A few years ago, it had been a typical thing she would have done with her girl friends from high school. Yet, all of her friends were away and she needed someone special to revive the habit.

Her smile widened. Well, she considered Sting that _someone special_. There was nothing strange about that, considering he was the only one she had any closer contact with. Although he _was_ something else…

“What?”

Lucy blinked and turned her sight at the man, who was walking beside and watching her with a curious expression.

“What: what?”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

Her cheeks stung in embarrassment, thinking she had been caught thinking about him. But she realized he genuinely had no idea what made her grin. So, she let out a small sigh and explained. “It’s been a while since I last had a picnic.” He was still gazing at her with interest, expecting more, so she carried on. “And, you know, it’s also been a while since I went out with someone.”

“I’m happy to change that.” Sting smiled. “You’re really cool and I still can’t understand why you’re avoiding people. I can only hope that someday you tell me. But, for now, I’m glad to help.”

“T-thank you.” Lucy said slowly and hesitated; she reached out to him, but stopped, intimidated. The last time she had done that, he had pecked her finger… No way she would risk another caress now.

If the man noticed anything, he did not let it show as he asked casually: “So, where is that indoor park?”

“Oh, it’s right in front of us.” She returned to her bubbly self and pointed in the right direction. “It’s a pretty nice one, because it has big lawn. Honestly, it’s more of a meadow.”

They entered the building which was supposed to be the park and Lucy led the way. It was simple in construction, the short tunnel leading to wooden doors. Sting was more and more fascinated by it all. Especially after opening the door.

It really _was_ a park; green trees, bright lamps that were substituting the sun, and thick grass everywhere. He turned his head to his companion to express his amazement, yet, he shut his mouth and simply stared at her. She was gazing ahead with a grin, mesmerized by the view, apparently. Lucy seemed to ignore everything else, her eyes twinkling. It was then that Eucliffe realized something.

Her. Another thing that was fascinating him was her.

The oblivious of his sight woman took him to a spot near a huge willow which was providing some shadow. She spun around and looked at him expectantly, her face full of enthusiasm. “And? Is it okay? What do you think?”

“It’s awesome.” Sting admitted. “How come I never knew we had it here is beyond me.”

“You know, it’s a recent development. The winter doesn’t provide enough sun, so last year they copied the idea from my hometown and created an artificial park here. Even though the sunrays are fake, and the heat is produced by heaters, I still love it. Now, give me the blanket…” Lucy took the cloth he took out and placed it on the ground, in the light. She fixed it and pushed the basket to the center of the blanket. She then sat down and motioned for him to do the same thing. “Sting! Aren’t you gonna join me?”

He shook his head and sat down next to her slowly, as if testing the ground he stood at. In both meanings.

“I have no idea why I’ve never been here.”

“You have other things to do.” She giggled. “Y’know, it’s nothing special for people our age… As you can see, most of the visitors are elderly people and parents with kids. Back in Magnolia— uh, sorry. I don’t want to bore you.”

“No, do tell. Back in Magnolia…?” The man prompted, observing her closely.

“Back there, we had one, too. It was a place for us to hide. We… I was in a girl group which didn’t classify as the most proper one.” She wrinkled her nose slightly. “And we used to drink alcohol there.”

“Lemme guess, you usually did it during class hours?” He teased.

“It did happen.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “But it was a very attractive place. And it was a good spot to think. Or talk privately. With all the children running around and yelling.”

“Well, I certainly missed out. But I’m glad that the first time I’m here, well, it’s with you.” He told her seriously and scooted closer.

“Good. And I’m glad you’re with me. Each time I came here, people were observing me strangely. Like being alone was bad or something…”

Sting looked around and understood at once. The place was full of families, couples, and animals… But no loners. Yet, he did not make any comment; instead, he reached to the basket and, flicking the lid open, took out the food they had prepared.

“Why don’t we eat some sweets?”

“Always a good idea.” She laughed and helped him to take the things out. Beside sweets, they had sandwiches, fruit, and water. Finally, they pulled a chocolate no-bake cake out and stared at it. “Mm, looks amazing.”

“It does.” Sting replied with slight surprise. He had not expected that. It had been made in a hurry, just before heading out. Recovering from his limbo, he cleared his throat and gazed at her. “Say, Lucy, should we meet tomorrow for posing since we lost two sessions?”

“I guess. Time’s running out and we’re still at the first pose.”

“Good. My place?”

“Rogue’s out?”

“Yeah. For the whole weekend.”

“Okay, fine.” Lucy smiled, her cheeks rosy.

Again, Sting gapped at her for a few seconds longer than necessary, but he just could not stop himself… What was that?

“Hey, you okay? You seem thoughtful.” She observed, taking a bite of a waffle.

“Yeah, it’s nothing.”

“Alright.” The blonde nodded and the partners ate in silence. When she was done, though, Lucy stretched her arms and laid down on the blanket, smiling. She felt so good there with him, and even her clothes were not bothering her. Hell, she had not spared a thought on them ever since leaving home. Was it the fact she had returned to the living after those three days, or was it all Sting’s doing?

“What are you doing?” Eucliffe chuckled, watching her.

“Relaxing. And pretending to sunbath.” She grinned from the ground and plopped herself on one of her arms, smirking. “Join me down here!”

Sting considered it for a moment; apart from the fact she was truly smirking, he was surprised by how natural, how bold she seemed with him in public. Not able to help himself, his sight slid along her figure, approving of her obvious curves, then he allowed himself to land on the ground beside her. “And what now?”

“And now we’re laying and talking. Normally, we’d be looking at the sky, but it’s also artificial here.” She sighed.

“We can always pretend it’s real.” He suggested, willing to do that for her.

“We could.” Lucy giggled, then unexpectedly rolled on her side and gazed straight at him. “But I think I wanna talk to you.”

The man smirked and followed suit, coming closer. “Fine with me.”

So, they talked. About everything and nothing, feeling comfortable and simply amazing in the company of the other.

At some point, he surprised her by frowning in the middle of a story from his high school. She threw him a confused glance, to which he replied with a sigh and a quiet question, not looking her in the eyes again.

“Lucy… A-about that matter, um, my brother…” Sting uttered. “You said you knew… something…”

She blinked. Had she heard right? He was asking her about his family? The last time it had happened, she cried and he sounded so broken… So, why now? Suddenly, she realized he was waiting for her answer, so she cleared her throat and declared slowly, softly.

“Yeah. But I don’t want to force you to listen to it if you don’t want to.”

“W-well, I’m thinking about it.”

Lucy shut up and blinked, gapping at him. “R-really?!”

“But I don’t have an answer yet.” The man quickly added, abruptly frantic. “I just wanted to tell you I’m thinking about it. It seems… right.”

Lucy wanted to cry from relief, happiness, and gratefulness she was feeling towards the man in front of herself. He did not hate her for meddling with his affairs. He also did not mind sharing his opinion on it. In fact, she would have never thought she could establish such a bond with the bold and popular Sting Eucliffe. He turned out to be smart and funny, usually tactful and simply amazing as a friend. He always made things right. He respected her and her strange pleads not to push numerous topics. She knew it cost him much not to say anything nor ask about at least several things when she was clearly reacting like a loon… And she really appreciated it.

Lucy closed her eyes for a moment, smiling beautifully. Yeah. She really did.


	9. Change of Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. She was a quiet young woman who preferred to stay alienated. That is, until she was put into a project together with the most handsome and desired man from her faculty and was forced to model for each other... naked. Now, Lucy's forced to face her demons and trauma from the past as she slowly falls in love with her sexy partner who does everything to make her fall for him. Involves drama with jealous Angel, family issues, referenced rape, sexual content. Rating will go up. // Edited and changed for more graphic and explicit than the original version on FF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the interest. Enjoy the 9th chapter!

It felt as if the weight was taken off her shoulders. The next day was pleasant at the faculty and she could not be bothered by anything. Not even the looks she got from Sting’s friends when she entered the classroom for the first time. Maybe, just _maybe_ she would have been more preoccupied if Angel was there that day… But, not so surprisingly, she was not.

Therefore, after classes, Lucy came over to Sting both for the session and with dinner—remembering that there were two guys living in the apartment and they probably did not have anything decent enough to eat. Once the man opened the door, they smiled at each other widely and he let her in, silent. A little startled for no good reason, Lucy took off her winter clothes unhurriedly, musing. There was something else… Something different in the air around them. She could sense it, just so slightly, yet, she was unable to put a finger on it. Funny, the day before it had not been there, or at least she believed so. The shift was directly connected to Sting, so the blonde glanced at him—and blood rushed in her veins. He was looking back at her with a small smile, leaning casually against the wall. Lucy felt hot around her neck. _What on earth…_

She shivered gently, which she was telling herself was due to the change of temperature, and gazed around, then smiled at the familiar cat slowly approaching her.

“Hi, Lector.” Lucy leaned down and caressed the pet. “I’ve got something for you, but I don’t know if your owner will allow such lechery…” She glanced at Sting, who nodded, visibly pleased that she was asking him first. “Oh look, we have consent! Then… Here you are!”

She took a cat’s snack out of her bag and quickly ripped the paper, making the cat meow and brace its paws on her, smelling the treat. The woman gently passed it to him and watched how Lector consumed the food greedily. She grinned and turned to Sting, who had a soft smile on his lips. Her breath almost caught in her throat when she looked him straight in the eyes and discovered his sight so tender.

“Let’s go.” He only said and motioned for the guest to go first.

So, Lucy passed by him and stepped into the Room of Arts, as she loved to call it. Immediately, she felt at home. A few days away from it made her miss the place. “I’ll never get enough of this room.”

“I feel you.” Sting smirked and went ahead to tidy up the sofa. “It gets me every time, too.”

She sent him an attentive look, but the man did not seem to want to elaborate on the topic. Thus, she continued her previous thought. “I’d love to have something like this in my apartment…”

“You know, if you like,” He spoke, turning his head to her and observing the blonde. “You can add something from yourself here.”

Lucy took a sharp breath in. “Really? Me?”

“I don’t mind.”

“B-but, but why?”

“I…”

But the sound ended and he never finished, eventually shaking his head in dismissal. Again, Lucy knew he did not want to, or was not ready to share it with her. After all, it had happened before. For example, the situation with his brother. She simply assumed it was something purely personal and she was too much of an outsider to pry. Instead, she cleared her throat and smiled shyly.

“Still, thank you. I’ll have to think of something.”

“No problem.” The man sat down on the couch and invited her over. She strolled to him and sat down in a safe distance. Once more, Lucy felt the tension between them and her heart sped up. It confused her beyond reason, made her feel vulnerable and fragile. Yet, she still felt safe. It was not supposed to be like this… Was it? Then, Sting’s voice pulled her out of her own thoughts. “So, Lucy. Whose turn is it?”

“Umm… Yours.”

“Mine? Really? Okay, then.” He brushed his hair back and stood up. “Fine. I’ll just get rid of my clothes.”

“W-wait, just like that, in front of me? Shouldn’t I give you some space?” Heartfilia started up and began walking away, quite relieved to distract herself from observing him and from her own confusion. Yet, before she made another step, his fingers circled her wrist, effectively stopping the woman. Electricity shocked her, making her widen her eyes and gasp. She spun to him slowly, but still remained half-turned.

“Don’t leave.” Sting said calmly. His fingers unhooked from around her wrist and he resumed unbuttoning his shirt, constantly watching her. “There’s nothing that you don’t know underneath.”

Frustration. It was the right word to describe what she felt at the time. She wanted to yell at him; did he not _feel_ the shift in the air? Did he not feel this strange appeal in the air? Did he not feel nervous around her? Like she, out of the sudden, did around him? Or was he doing it all on purpose, to rile her up?

“F-fine.”

Nonetheless, Lucy did not watch him strip; instead, she approached the easel and took out her drawing from the folder, placing it gently on the workplace. She took extra time to lay the tools in particular order, too. When Lucy was finally ready, she raised her eyes and found Sting in his naked glory, waiting for her with crossed arms and cocked brows.

“Go and take your position, why are you standing like that?” She giggled, not able to take him seriously at the moment. His raised brows were supposed to be intimidating, she supposed, but the nudiness destroyed the effect.

“Jeez, on it, alright.”

He climbed on the chair and took the pose, only to be slightly corrected by the woman. “Nice, looks like your body remembers what to do.”

“Well, it’s been so many times.”

Lucy grabbed her tools a little clumsily and resumed the drawing, conscious of his intense sight on herself. Why was he observing her like that? She by then was certain that something had changed not only between them, but also in _him_ , granted. Did it mean he realized it, too? That he had realized there was tension whenever they were together? What the heck was he trying to do? She felt so… naked in front of him. As if it was not him that was nude, but her.

And, if she were true to herself, it was rather exciting.

When she finished another detail, Lucy forced herself to gaze at the man and involuntarily shivered. He seemed focused only on her; his eyes turned deep blue, his expression was determined. She gulped before speaking unsurely. “Um, Sting?”

“Yeah?”

“C-can you put some pertness into your face? I need sensuality.”

“Am I not enticing enough to you?” He smirked knowingly.

“It’s a-absolutely not that, I just wanted to have it easier with the face. Um… Try to be… err, seductive.”

As the last word left her mouth, Lucy blushed from head to toe. His member moved up gently when he was teasing her, coming to life. Even though she knew very well it was impossible for him to prevent it, she thought that it was creating yet another kind of tension between them—the sexual one.

“Oh, Lucy… If only you knew.” Sting sighed, but nodded and his features changed slightly, intensifying the previous expression. Suddenly, she felt stupid. Did he just imply he was already _trying_ to seduce her? “Well? Is this seductive enough?”

She scowled, mainly to hide her discomfort. “Will do.”

Still, not able to fight the urge, Lucy glanced at his shaft and found it even harder. The fucker was enjoying himself. She quickly turned her sight away, dying from embarrassment, and took care of the drawing, making him laugh.

“Shut up.”

He did not; instead, he added: “But your abashment is so adorable.”

“And the face’s gone.” She sighed, dodging his last remark and changing the topic. Nonetheless, it silenced him and the man adjusted his expression once again. Pretending not to be affected, Lucy commented. “You know, several more meetings and we can pass to the second sketch, I think.”

Sting remained silent, maybe not to peeve her anymore. The fact allowed her to continue without interruption. It took her around twenty minutes to let him rest at last. Not at all shy about the nudity, he stood and began complaining just how sore from the posing he already was.

She was _not_ observing him stretch himself and flex his muscles.

She was not.

“You can check the drawing before we switch.” Turning her head, Lucy offered and put down the tools, not sparing another look at him. She corrected an element on the easel and stepped to the side to take something from her bag.

“Your turn.”

She jumped right out of her skin and turned on her heels in surprise. Apparently, she was not paying enough attention to notice that Sting was standing right beside her, not wearing anything yet. He was gazing at the easel, not aware—or so she thought—of her eyeing him. She slid her sight along his torso and bit her lip, both anxious and curious. He was so close… So real. And so attractive. Unexpectedly, the man turned to her, flashing his front to her, and smiled mischievously.

_Shit!_

“What? Like me better so close to you?”

“W-what!” Lucy sputtered.

“Well then, wanna try and explore?” His smirk was vile, and she shook her head furiously. He feigned surprise. “Not even curious?”

“Eucliffe…”

Lucy intended to say that with an exasperated sigh, she really did. However, it came out as a moan, betraying her. She flinched and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes widened.

His reaction was immediate. He twitched and his eyes turned a tone darker. The man made a step towards her, then another, only a few centimeters separating them. She felt his warmth, he was so close, and she was certain of that he could feel the heat emanating from her form, too. Lucy began trembling and, unable to stand the distance, took a step back. Her breathing hitched and she fought to even it. Sting did not budge, but was still staring at her with hunger.

“Moaning a man’s name when he’s so keyed on and nude is not wise. Especially if the said man is taken with the woman. Unless you want action, Lucy.” He said huskily, his voice low. She had not heard him speak so deeply yet and it scared her. She did not really understand what he was saying, lost in her panic.

“I-I didn’t mean to—”

“I know. Now, excuse me for a moment. I think I should dress up privately.”

He left her frozen, staring at the place he had been standing at. Sting did not stop; he grabbed his things and left the room. She immediately felt overwhelmed and guilty; she really had not meant to produce that moan, it just escaped on its own… She only made it worse for him. And herself. And she definitely had not wanted to make the atmosphere uncomfortable. God knew it was already different.

So, when the man returned, Lucy quickly turned to him and began babbling. “I’m sorry, Sting, I really didn’t want to do something strange or awkward… I shouldn’t have done it at all, because it made you feel even more uncomfortable, but it was involuntary and— Oh, please, don’t be mad—”

“I wasn’t mad, Lucy.” He frowned.

“I know what you were.” She blushed and hung her head. “But I thought that, apart from that…”

“No. Chill. It’s fine now.” Sting said and cleared his throat. “And you should be ready.”

“Oh, right.” The blonde budged and approached the couch where she began taking off and leaving her clothes.

“Remember about your nipples and lips.”

Lucy nodded and managed to take off her bra without tangling herself in it out of discomfort; it was the first time she was undressing while Eucliffe was in the room. Meanwhile, she was biting her lips to swell them. Her pants and underwear went down and she rushed to her usual posing place, changing the chair for the stool and sitting on it. He corrected her slightly and began drawing, yet, after several minutes, he lowered his hands and sent her a doubting look.

“What?” Lucy asked nervously. She did not like his expression.

“I don’t like your lips. They’re not swollen enough.”

“I can’t possibly bite them more.” She frowned.

Sting stared at her for a moment, then put down the tools. “Do you trust me?”

“Huh?”

“I ask whether you trust me.”

“I-I do…” She replied unsurely. She thought it had not sounded too truthfully, but it did not seem to trip him up.

“Because I’m about to do something.” He started approaching her. “Since you trust me, you know I wouldn’t hurt you. I _won’t_ hurt you.”

The man stopped right in front of her and leaned down to level his head with hers. Lucy flinched, but tried to keep her pose, although she was so very edgy. Her heart rate sped up, she was unsure of what he was trying to do. He wore a serious expression, but his eyes were telling her to trust him. In the next few seconds, Sting reached out and, with two fingers hooked under her chin, lifted her head slightly.

“W-what are you doing?” She whispered, mortified.

“I’m gonna kiss you now, Lucy.” Sting announced gently, as if he was afraid of terrifying her. Or of her reaction. She had not seen him so insecure yet; nonetheless, there he was. Even though he was partly demanding it, he was still leaving her place to refuse, to decline, to run away.

And, at that moment, she _realized_ what was the tension she had been feeling ever since she had entered the place. The tension which was making her abdomen tighten and her cheeks burn. It was pure, strong, intoxicating, and absolutely unexpected chemistry.

Lucy sucked in a breath. Fuck, she did not expect anything like it. Him, kissing her?

“D-don’t.”

 “Just for the purpose of the project.”

But her consciousness was shouting at her, trying to fight the anxiety. The woman knew what it meant. She wanted it. She wanted him to kiss her, not only for the purpose of the project. But, being as she was then, such a mess… she did not know, how.

So, instead, she expressed only some of her feelings.

“No! I’m scared.”

“Then close your eyes and focus on the trust. I won’t cause you pain, just bite you a little to swell your lips. See how truthful I am with you?” Sting caressed her cheek with his thumb softly. “Come on. Close your eyes.”

Lucy swallowed the upcoming tears and squinted her eyes forcefully, shivering. She was terrified. But, at the same time, she was giddy. Why, _why_ could she not refuse? The words would not leave her mouth. So, instead, she nodded curtly.

If her eyes had been open, she would have seen how the corners of his mouth twitching. But then he focused on her and delicately led his finger along her lips. They were warm, soft, and tempting. It was shocking, how very attracted to her he felt at that moment. Sting gulped and slowly cupped her cheek, feeling her tremble, then unhurriedly closed the gap between them, delicately tasting the woman. He prolonged the move and forced himself to back away a little, watching her reaction.

At first, she stiffened. She felt his hot lips on hers and how they moved slowly, like trying her. When he moved away, she let out a nervous sigh—and his mouth covered hers again, that time with haste, more demanding. Lucy was not sure what to do, move with him or do nothing? She slightly got over the stress she was feeling and was trying to cope with the other thing, the fact that Sting was freaking kissing her.

Oh God.

Sting Eucliffe was kissing her.

And he was amazing at that, too.

“Lucy…” He rasped suddenly into her mouth, not even breaking the contact. She trembled under his breath, her thoughts disrupted. “Respond. It’ll make it quicker.”

And so she did. Partly due to his words and in part because she wanted to reciprocate. Lucy let him lead the caress, hard and precise. Sting hummed appreciatively on that, then bit her. She yelped, but did not stop. He _had_ warned her… It happened several times more, with different force. But, unexpectedly, his tongue appeared on her lips, sliding along the bottom one. At that moment, Heartfilia broke the kiss and turned her head to the side, embarrassed and angry at herself.

“Enough.” She whispered.

Her senses screamed in protest. Yet, every single nerve in her body was on fire; not the fire from the arousing kiss, though, but the fire which had her almost paralyzed. While it was a simple—well, almost—kiss, it was rather fine. She did not freak out; maybe she was ready for that. However, when he licked her… It was too much. Too intimate. Too terrifying. Too… everything.

“S-sorry.”

At that, Lucy caught a glimpse of him; he obviously was _anything_ but. He had a dreamy expression plastered all over his face, and was obviously aroused again. No wonder; Sting had just kissed her while she was helplessly naked.

She was so mad at herself for allowing the man to do that at all. She had promised herself that she would never allow things to go that far. With anyone. Not after she had been betrayed by her own friends and they had done what they had. And look where she was now! With Sting freaking Eucliffe! Moreover, even though the pain was mortifying her and she barely believed she survived the caress, it seemed completely crazy, but she kind of enjoyed the proximity and, naturally, his hot lips on hers… But maybe it was the matter of those not being just any lips; but Sting’s. Nonetheless, she had betrayed herself and had probably made him read the situation the way she had wished he would not have.

“Can we just resume with the drawing?” Lucy asked quietly to break the silence. He _had to_ get away.

“Yeah.” Eucliffe stood up and returned to the easel. He took a pencil in his hand, eyeing her again and chuckled. “You need to retake your position. But now the face is all better. Well. I guess the next time we need to _prepare_ your lips earlier.”

“B-but—”

“Shush. I’m drawing your face now.”

Sting smirked and drew on. Lucy was still blushing, ashamed. She could not help but analyze the situation. Oh God. Did he think she was cheap? Or idiotic because of her contradicting behavior? She had been repeating like a seized up compact that she would not bear the proximity and his touch… And now… _And now we kissed._

“You know, you look pretty with the blush.” Unexpectedly, he commented, interrupting her musing.

She budged. “Um. Thanks…”

“And you’re not a half bad kisser.” She made no response, so Sting baited her more. “You have a nice taste to yourself.”

There, she lowered her hands and covered her chest partly by crossing her arms over her breasts, frowning. “Stop.” Lucy gritted her teeth. “Just… Don’t.”

“Why? You can’t take compliments either?”

“No! And definitely not like these.” She gulped and fought not to cry. “I-it’s torturous…”

Suddenly, she realized that Sting dropped the pencil as it rolled freely on the floor, making noise. She also registered he was moving and, before she could react in any way, he caught her by her arms. She tossed, but he held her in place and forced the woman to look at him. She was still trying to break free, but he was gripping her firmly. Lucy got scared; he appeared to be mad. And mad people were usually unpredictable. What would he do to her, especially in the state of clothing she currently was?

She wanted to at least ask to get dressed, intending not to show her true emotions, but he beat her to anything.

“You are beautiful. Sexy. Fun. And caring and amazing.” The man told her harshly. “What’s torturous about that? Why can’t you just accept it?!”

“I can’t!” Lucy exclaimed and, unable to help it, burst out crying. There went her effort at not showing how upset she was. “I, I, I just can’t…!”

“Talk to me. You know you can.” His frown deepened. He did not intend to make her cry, but seemingly it was inevitable.

“No! N-not about tha-at.”

Sting sighed heavily and let her go. “Dress up.” She looked at him with watery eyes, tears still cascading down her face. “Do it. I’m not mad. I just want to show you something.”

Lucy brushed away her tears and stood up slowly. Now certain of that she would not be attacked, she moved and reached for her clothes, sniffing quietly. She quickly dressed and, having laced her fingers together in distress, stood with an embarrassed face. The man said nothing, but approached the lost woman, took her hand and led her gently to one of the walls… The wall Lucy had tried to inspect when she had entered that room for the first time, but later had forgotten about it completely. The one with an almost fully smudged poem—except for the last four verses. She inspected them. _But I woke up / And you were there / And I smiled / At the love in the air_. Lucy blinked several times, then transferred her sight at the man, waiting.

“I saw that it got you interested.” Sting spoke up, his sight determined and harsh. His fingers gripped hers tighter, making her freeze; however, she restrained herself from yanking her hand away. Apparently, he had done it unconsciously. And was in need of comfort himself. “And, even though I never talked to anyone about it… I wanna tell you. It, it feels right to tell you.”

“You don’t need to. I don’t want you to do something you don’t want just because you think you owe me something.” She whispered, but was silenced by his sharp glance.

“I want to tell you.” His grip on her hand loosened, then tightened again. “This is the only thing that was not put here by me… We’ve talked about it. You asked me if everything here was of my creation… Well, this is the piece that’s not.”

Lucy emitted a sound, something between a yelp and a gasp. Pieces started falling into place… But was her theory right? She hoped not, for his sake. Still, his tone and his expression were telling another story. She sent him an understanding look. Yet, he did not look at her. So, she respected that and gaped at the wall.

“I… There was a girl. A good friend of mine. At some point, she became my girlfriend.” When she gazed at him, Sting’s eyes were dark and sad. “I really was crazy about her. We used to spend hours here, doing stuff. Once, she decided to write something on the wall for me. And when I agreed to that, she shooed me away and got to work. She wrote a poem.”

Lucy felt his hand clenching around hers even more, to the point of hurting, but she did not allow herself to grimace. She was both fascinated and amazed about the unexpected story Sting was serving her. Yet, she knew it was not one with a happy ending.

“This poem.” The man turned his head to Lucy, wearing a mask of disappointment and grief. “It was a very beautiful poem, one of her own. It wasn’t overly long, but you could feel the depth… S-sorry, I won’t recite it. I… I can’t.”

“It’s okay…”

Lucy squeezed his hand back in reassurance, giving him time to collect himself. When he did, she could swear he seemed drained, almost deflated. Her heart soared.

“Well, it quickly proved to be wrong. Or at least for me.”

She observed how his face was twisting and he was trying to make it blank, not showing anything that was raging within him.

“She turned out to be in love with other guy and I was a stepping stone to her. To gain experience, to get to that man.” Sting laughed coldly. “Can you imagine what I went through? It’d have been easier if I hadn’t loved her… But I had.”

“Sting…” Lucy whispered, heartbroken about his confession.

“I tried to erase her from my memory and life. And I got to this fucking, goddamn poem… And look.” He glared at the piece of art. “I couldn’t even smudge the whole thing. Nothing could make me. I asked Rouge to do it… And when he was at the point of removing it fully, I still stopped him. Pathetic, aren’t I?”

“I’m so sorry…” She sniffed, feeling her eyes watering again.

“Isn’t this nice of her? And you know what were her last words?” Sting gritted his teeth. “ _I never loved you, how could I? You’re my best friend, I hoped you’d understand… You’re amazing, sexy, manly, but not to me._ And you know what, Lucy?” There was a pregnant silence between them before he spat: “This. _This_ is fucking torturous. Those complements that you can get, but the person you care about doesn’t mean a word.”

The woman eyed him. She was biting her lip to keep herself from openly crying for him. She started seeing Sting in a brand new light. He was strong beyond belief, sentimental, but he was also humanly miserable and disappointed. She had no idea how much time had passed, but it still seemed fresh to him. Like a wound which simply could not scar. Ever. Oh, it was so unfair. He was such a great guy, how could he have such bad luck with women? That girl, then Angel… Each of them seemed completely unsuitable and simply _bad._ As bad as a person can get. Hurting him and destroying the good, caring, and capable of maintaining a relationship individual within him, little by little.

While getting to the conclusion, Lucy fought with herself; she knew what would anyone need at the very moment. So, she took a deeper breath and asked quietly. “Can you promise me that you won’t move?”

“What?” Sting’s head snapped into her direction. He was eyeing her, calculating and with fire in his sight. Still furious, still hurt. And she knew what she had to do.

“Just… Don’t move.”

Lucy took a step towards him, then hesitated before taking another. He was breathing heavily, still living through the story he had just told her. Sting was watching her, not understanding… Until she wrapped her arms around him and hugged his figure comfortingly. She knew she was trembling, but hoped he would not make fun of her. It was so hard for her to willingly embrace a man… Nevertheless, she had to do it, simply had to. He had told her yet another tragic thing from his past and she could not stop herself from comforting him anymore.

And then she sobbed.

“A-are you crying? Lucy…” Sting’s voice softened and he tried to hug her back, but she quickly stepped aside, not looking at him.

“Don’t. You don’t know how much did it cost me to do that at all…” She admitted and quickly wiped the tears. “But, oh, Sting! I am so sorry you had to go through it… You’re such a great person, why do you have to meet such people?”

“That’s life.” He shrugged.

“But still—”

“Don’t worry about that.” Sting told her and scrutinized her. “But why were you crying?”

“I-I… I’m sorry.” Lucy laughed nervously and turned around, walking away. The sudden need to put as much of a distance between them as possible was burning her limbs. “I’m too emotional at times and—”

She expected arguing or protests. But she was not expecting him to catch her and turn around to face him. The woman gasped and landed right into his arms.

Immediately, memories overwhelmed her. The picture was too familiar for her to bear, and she started to scream and trash.

“No! Sting, let me go!”

“I won’t hurt you.” He ignored her altogether; instead, he just repeated slowly, loudly, and seriously. “I won’t harm you. You are safe.”

But she did not see. Did not hear. She was scared, so scared. Not to the point of absolute panic, but she felt unsafe. Threatened. And at the same time completely helpless.

“Let me go!”

“No. Calm down. I won’t do anything to you… Unless you won’t shut up.”

“ _Let me go!_ ”

Sting sighed and backed away a little. Lucy, thinking she got what she wanted, intended to scold him, yet, she was silenced by his mouth which crashed against hers. For the second time that day. She froze; sudden cold fear overwhelmed and spilled within her. She felt endangered and naked, so she took a wide swipe… And her hand landed on his cheek. The man hissed and jumped back, holding his face and staring at her.

Lucy was standing in a fighting position, panting and crying again. Her senses were raging, passing from the state of shock to fear. Suddenly, she turned around and headed to the exit fast.

“Wait, Lucy!” He called after her and managed to block the way by standing in front of her.

“Let me pass.”

“No. I’m sorry, it happened on its own.” Sting apologized, looking a little crushed. “I’m sorry I tried to force you. I shouldn’t have done that… Please, forgive me.” She was still silent, so he went on. “I was trying to make you break the barrier and test your endurance… But I did it like an idiot, please, don’t go. And please don’t say you’ve stopped trusting me.”

Lucy considered his words. She could not deny that those were making her pulse stabilize and she was calming down the more he was saying… When he finished his speech with the plead not to stop trusting him, she budged and slowly transferred her sight at him.

“I haven’t stopped.” She whispered.

“Oh God. Good.” Eucliffe brushed away his hair and put his hand over his forehead. “I’m sorry. It really was totally low of me.”

Lucy nodded, then said. “It was probably my fault. I hugged you… And you’ve probably mistook it.”

“No, it was my fault.”

The woman shook her head. “Okay… Let’s forget about it.”

“Fine.”

She turned and walked back to the sofa, landing on it. “I’m… Sorry I slapped you.”

“No, I deserved it.” Sting murmured, joining her. Suddenly, he spat. “I would’ve never thought I’d admit something like that.”

“And I’d have never thought I’d slap you of all people.” Lucy started to worry. “Show me your cheek.”

He slowly revealed the place to her; she blinked and hesitantly reached out to slide her fingers on the red skin.

“Wait here, I’ll bring you a spoon.” She said and stood up, passing in front of him.

She was oblivious to his inspecting sight and his concerned expression. She could not know that he was not angry, but was rather admiring her spirit and was desperately trying to understand her… _What’s happened to you?_

Meanwhile, the woman went to the kitchen where she dropped the mask and shivered. The scare had passed, but she was not sure, why. She was also trying to understand _why_ he had tried to test her and to kiss her… Lucy frowned. Had he not said something about silencing her? Or was it her imagination? Because yes, she was trying to excuse him for that. _He didn’t want to harm me. He wouldn’t hurt me._ She was repeating it in her mind, like a mantra. She wanted to believe that. So much she was beginning to do so.

“You okay?” She jumped. Apparently, Sting sensed she would not get back to him soon and followed her to the kitchen.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, I started to think and… Well. You know.” Lucy answered and took a spoon she found next to the sink. “Here. Put it on your cheek.”

“It can’t be that bad.” He joked.

“Nah. But it’s red.”

He nodded and took the spoon, bracing his cheek on it. The man sighed with relief. “Oh. It’s better.”

“I’m glad.” Lucy averted her sight for a moment, then glanced at him unsurely.

“Look.” Eucliffe, who noticed that, grimaced and approached her. “Relax. I just want you to really believe me, I need to look you in the eyes.”

“F-fine.”

He braced his one hand to her left, leaning in, but stayed in a safe distance. His eyes seemed hypnotizing to her and she realized she could not look away.

“Lucy. I’m sorry I did all that. It’s just that… You embraced me when I needed it and I wanted to do the same. Maybe push it a little. I really thought you got over your… fear. Besides, we’ve already kissed, so I though you wouldn’t react like this.” He stopped, scrutinizing her. Once again, he stared at her a little longer than necessary. “Lucy. I promise I won’t do anything like that ever again out of the blue, unless you want it. I’ll just focus on the project and the way I want you to look like. The question is, would you allow it? If I kissed you only for the purpose of the project?”

She gapped at him, pondering. Finally, she sighed and slowly moved her head. “I wonder… Why do I let you do such things to me…”

Sting jerked back a little, not expecting a positive reply. Barely believing his luck, he processed the situation and ghosted a smile, suddenly hopeful. “Who knows.”

* * *

 

“Levy! I’m such an ass.” Lucy yelled and punched the wall, only causing her hand to hurt. “Can you imagine?! I’ve allowed him to touch myself. To give me a kiss on the lips…!”

“And what did it feel like?” Levy simply asked her friend, sipping a drink and feeling like a therapist.

“I, I thought I’d die.” Lucy panted out and flopped on the sofa, looking tired. “I was terrified and—”

“No, silly.” The bluenette spat and facepalmed. “What did the kiss feel like?”

“I-I… I’m telling you that—”

“Lu. No. I’m asking about the other thing… You know. The kiss itself.” Levy shifted and embraced her knees, her eyes shining with mirth. “Was it, was _he_ good? Was it simple, passionate, lovely? How did he react?”

She considered it for a few seconds. The words coming to her mind were definitely not the ones Levy would want to hear: wrong; painful; scary; the guilt… It was what she had been feeling during the caress. Yet… She could not den she had _liked_ it. Now that she thought about it, the kiss was breathtaking. Then, she realized that underneath her paranoia she had felt a complete opposite of the emotions she had focused on. There was excitement and… and desire. No, she could not could that way. So, she quickly shook her head to distract herself.

“I-I haven’t thought about it.” Lucy whispered and covered her face. “Lev, I can’t stand a simple embrace from a man, how can I stand a more intimate gesture?”

“But I can see you’re better now.” She eyed the blonde. “I mean, you’re still a social cripple, a worrywart, a crazy ass when it comes to males… But you survived. You enjoyed it, maybe only to some extent, but still. So…”

“But I slapped him.”

McGarden’s smile fell and she stared at her. “What?”

“H-he…” And she retold the story. “But I want to hear your theory. Just.. why? What do you think he wanted to achieve? Why would he test me?”

The bluenette considered her words, her expression pensive. Finally, she replied. “I don’t know… Maybe he has some plans concerning you?” Levy mused, squinting her eyes. “I mean, come on. He’s told you about himself more than you can imagine in such a short time. And not all of those things were nice and easy to share… Plus you two seem to get along.”

“So it means he’s bound to force himself on me?” Lucy fumed.

“No. It means he just wanted to make sure you’re really as retarded as you claim to be.”

“Hey. You know the circumstances.” The blonde frowned, hurt. “I have every right to be retarded about—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Levy waved her hand. “Still, I wanna see you two together and inspect the way you interact with each other myself.”

“Uh, not so fast.” Lucy blew her bangs back. “You can’t come to a session nor can you just appear at the fac… So how do you wanna do that?”

“I’ve got that covered.” The petite woman grinned widely. “Next Saturday.”

She did not like Levy’s smile.

“What is next Saturday?”

“A fine and fun party I wanna go to with you.” Levy clapped her hands and crept closer to Lucy on the sofa. “And I bet most people from your fac will come since it’s your departmental party.”

“You’re kidding.” Lucy frowned and bit her lip, worry marring her forehead. “I can’t! Not when there’s gonna be so many people that I know…”

“Hey, hey, hon. They do, but they don’t. You’ll be wearing tight and sexy.” The guest rolled her eyes. “And no objections. People won’t recognize you in that.”

Lucy signed and kept her real thoughts to herself. Not only had Levy not helped her, but also was forcing her into going to a departmental party. Her arts partner had kissed her and invaded her privacy, plus her mind was going crazy from overthinking it all…  And they were to meet in two days.

Could it be any worse?

Well, she _had_ asked for it.

“And you should ask him why he kissed you, like, for real.” Levy added calmly.

Lucy made a face. “Um, he told me already?”

“Nope. He wouldn’t admit the truth just like that.” She shook her head and stated in a tone which left no room for argument.

“So… He lied?!”

“What? No! He might’ve told you a half-truth, but didn’t tell you the most important reason.”

Lucy frowned, but grabbed her cell and, determined, typed a text: _Hey, listen… I’ve been thinking and, um, I wonder… Did you possibly have any other reason to kiss me?_

The message was sent before she could rethink her actions. “Done. I’ll prove it to you that he did not!”

“Oh, I think you’re gonna be disappointed.” Levy simply smirked.

They waited for a few minutes before the blonde’s phone vibrated. She exchanged a confident look with her friend and grabbed it to read the text.

_What do you mean?_

She bit her lip. What? It was not what she was expecting.

_It just doesn’t make any sense to me… Why kiss me at all._

_You’re too smart. So smart it scares me._

It was the moment she started to worry for real.

But also the moment she started to feel just a bit thrilled.

_Sting?_

_Fine. I did. I simply wanted to kiss you. I had to do it._

“Oh my God.” Lucy squealed and hid her face in the hands, a little crushed. She tried to ignore the blush spreading around her face. “No way!”

“Believe me now?” Levy laughed while reading from the side. “Okay, reply.”

“No! I’ll never write to him again!”

“What? You must!”

“No, I don’t. Lev, I don’t have the guts.”

“If you don’t respond,” The bluenette blew her bangs back smugly. “I will.”

 _That_ changed her mind. “NO!”

“Then go ahead. I’m not in any hurry.”

Lucy scowled. “Fine.”

_I… Why?_

_You brought me to yourself—like a magnet. But I can’t explain, not yet… Sorry._

Heartfilia’s shoulders slumped and, having read the message out loud, sighed. “So? What now? You satisfied?”

“Not at all. This is the part where you should confess the same thing. But, of course, you won’t do it, so just reply with something neutral.” Levy tapped Lucy’s back and flopped on the couch.

“Like what?”

“Choose something. Unless you want to hint to him that you are falling for him…”

“NO!”

“Then think of something else. Just…” The bluenette paused and sent her a serious look. “Don’t turn him down. I know you, and you know I do. And I _know_ that’s not what you really want.”

Lucy bit her lip. Levy was right. Yet, was it a good idea _not_ to discourage Sting? As if in response, the pang in her chest and pressure on her heart suddenly fell upon her. Heartfilia pressed her lips together, certain of the answer, then typed: _Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t demand anything from you, not being in the state I am myself._

“Good.” Levy nodded when she took a butcher’s. “It’s mysterious and hopeful.”

Sting sent a reply in a blink of an eye.

_What state are you in, Lucy?_

Not overthinking that time, the blonde simply typed what was on her mind. She had already admitted to being interested, anyway. What could be ‘worse’ than that?

_Of uncertainty._

_Towards what?_

_Sting. You know the answer._

_No. Tell me._

She mused; how to put into words what her mind was going through? How could she put it all simply and keep it short?

_Towards everything. Literally every little piece of my life. The way I am, the way I act, the lack of social life. Of hiding. Of anxiety. I’m… tired of that._

Quite satisfied, she sent the text. Not sharing with Levy why, Lucy chuckled; she could almost see him sighing and brushing his hair, pondering. Fortunately, her friend got the message and did not pry anymore, rather satisfied with herself and her contribution to the situation. Levy smiled and grabbed her own phone, leaving space for Lucy to act on her own.

Heartfilia was shaking slightly, not sure whether she had done the best thing by revealing everything like that… What would his reaction be? And if he decided to move on? _Dang_ … Thus, when the new message came, the woman had to take a few deep breaths before reading it.

_Let me liberate you, Lucy. Let me be there for you._

Her eyes stung; she would love that. But it was too early. And she knew it.

_It’s not that easy, although you’re close already._

Heartfilia hesitated, but sent it eventually, holding her breath.

The reply made her relieved; apparently, he did not push the matter.

_Lucy?_

_Mm?_

_I’m glad we’re together for the project. I don’t regret anything._

She only smiled, consoled.


	10. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. She was a quiet young woman who preferred to stay alienated. That is, until she was put into a project together with the most handsome and desired man from her faculty and was forced to model for each other... naked. Now, Lucy's forced to face her demons and trauma from the past as she slowly falls in love with her sexy partner who does everything to make her fall for him. Involves drama with jealous Angel, family issues, referenced rape, sexual content. Rating will go up. // Edited and changed for more graphic and explicit than the original version on FF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another chapter! With an additional to the original storyline beginning.  
> Enjoy!

Sting was close to her. He could count the lighter dots in her brown irises if he wanted to, but was too enchanted to focus. His fingers brushed her hair back and she leaned into his touch softly yet eagerly, her skin soft against his palm. The man caressed her cheek with his left thumb and dipped his head.

His lips were keen, but hers did not lack any enthusiasm either. She moaned when he nibbled on her lower lip, at the same time massaging her ears. Her hands caught his and the man grunted when her nails scratched his skin sensually, passing on his forearms and going up till his shoulder blades. Encouraged like that, Sting pushed his tongue past her opened lips and started to explore the cavern, swallowing every whimper and every moan.

The woman’s hands sneaked around his neck and into his hair, pulling sexily and making him emit a long, needy hum. He got harder when her long fingers scratched his scalp, when she responded to every single one of his caresses, and especially when she made a bolder move and bit on his mouth. Sting’s grip around her waist tightened and he pulled her on his lap, wiling to eliminate any distance separating them. Her heat enveloped him and he instantly felt home, which only fueled his passion.

His hands began sliding down her sides and the woman broke the kiss to take a deep breath in, allowing him a moment of air for himself. Sting did not waste any time and glued to her neck, leaving hickeys and listening to her gasping his name. When she ground on him next, he could not hold himself any longer and rasped throatily her name.

“Lucy…”

And he woke up.

At first, he did not know where he was. In the darkness, his unsuited to the vision eyes rolled around the area, trying to spot anything. It took him a few moments to realize he was in his own room, his own bed, definitely alone, and with a worked up body.

Sting swore and sighed heavily. It was getting worse. He had to do something about it.

 _Go jerk off_ , was what Rogue had said when the man had confessed to having kissed with his partner. _Well_ , thought Sting and slid his open palm along his face to rub the sleep off a bit, _at least he was right for once._ He tried to adjust his sleeping pants so that he would relieve himself, but it did not seem to work. So, resigned, he shrugged.

That Heartfilia woman was doing crazy things to him, he had to admit. He did not like it one bit. Especially that she was not too eager to hit on him like he was trying to hit on her. Nonetheless, chemistry cannot be one-sided. And they had experienced it alright. It was thick and intense, and even she could not deny it. So, what was her stance in all of that?

Sting scowled and closed his eyes forcefully, frustrated.

She was making him crazy.

* * *

 

_The next day_

Going to Reedus’ classroom, Lucy did not know what to think. Nor what to expect.

All in all, she forced herself to treat Sting’s behavior with a grain of salt. Even though the previous day was difficult and it cost her much not to just stay home the next day in order to avoid seeing him, she felt closer to the man than ever. And not necessarily because of the kiss, but rather due to the unexpected confession he had served her. Although the kiss _had_ played an important role, too. Nevertheless, she believed Sting had meant no harm and she would not let her past experiences destroy what she had established with him. He was a very valuable friend—the only she had close at the moment as well—and she wanted to enjoy it, not end it so fast. Lucy understood that it was just the way he was, broad and arrogant among other things. There was also the attraction thing which she could not deny, yet, she chose not to consider it overly seriously just yet. She hoped it would fade in time.

But. There was no denying that she was thinking about it, about him. How could she not, looking through the prism of her past… But also their friendship. Kissing a friend was not a good prospect for the duo if they wanted to remain just friends. Lucy wanted that above all else, to continue the friendship. Moreover, admitting to be enamored of Euciffe was one thing, but she could not understand the fact she had caught herself on thinking about Sting and his subtle kiss almost all of the time. She had been doing so great with keeping a low profile. And now _that_. Lucy shook her head and got rid of those thoughts. It was not good. Not at all.

She sat down in her usual place, nodding at the lecturer. It was fortunate the teacher was a type to rather have a peaceful class and work individually. She would not have to confront—and apologize to—Sting till after class… right?

However, she disappointed herself. Reedus was _usually_ like that…

Well. Not that day.

Right after letting the people in, he grinned and waved his finger at the students. “That’s not good. Today, sit with your project partner since you’re about to discuss a few matters and examine your progress.”

 _Damn._ Lucy blinked fast and unsurely glanced at her pair; Sting turned his head to her at the same moment and they stared at each other for a while before she invited him to her desk. She could not help but notice Angel Aguria scowling from behind him, but the woman dismissed it in time to see the man nodding. With a playful grin he came to her and plopped on the free chair.

“Hi.”

That was it, the moment she had had no time to consider before it happened; how should she answer? Keep it simple? Normal? But could she do that? _Ahh, shit. Here goes nothing._

“And hi to you, too.” She answered and tried to return the smile, but failed eventually.

“I hope you stopped being angry? Or worse, scared of me?” Noticing her reserve, Sting asked, cracking an inviting smile. It disarmed her.

“Yes, I guess.”

“Then show me that and smile.” As if on command, Lucy’s mouth listened to him and bowed in a shy beam. He chuckled fondly and nodded. “That’s it.”

She felt better, a little more at ease around him. So, she cleared her throat and asked. “Anyway, do you know what we’re supposed to do?”

“No idea. Talking about project progress?” Sting rolled his eyes, making himself comfortable. “But it’s boring. And it’s bullshit, we saw each other yesterday.”

“Fair enough. So…” She gulped and slowly raised her eyes on him, really asking a question, gazing at him with pure anticipation and trust. “What do we do?”

Eucliffe gaped at her for a moment; God, was she suggestive, but also innocent at that. Thus, fully aware of that he should compose himself soon—and he really should forget about he dream he had had—, the man cleared his throat and scooted closer, lowering his voice. “I don’t know if you’re doing this on purpose, or you’re just ridiculously sexy, but at moments like this—with you looking at me like that—I really wanna take you home.”

“Thank you, I’m quite capable of getting home on my own.” Lucy replied after a second, the corners of her mouth twitching. “But hey, the question was real.”

Sting blinked, surprised by her boldness. Having collected himself, he smirked. “I see someone’s done their homework. I like _this_ kind of progress.”

She was not sure how it went the way it did, but she did not complain. Instead, she did not deny it, finding the mutual teasing easier with every word. Still, she remembered what she needed to do and made a guilty expression. “I’m still sorry about slapping you.”

“Don’t mention it. Like I said, I deserved it and it should be me apologizing—”

“About what?”

Another voice made the duo budge and they quickly raised their sights to look at the intruder. It was Angel, who was standing over their desk with a seemingly nice smile which held a touch of maliciousness, though.

Lucy was getting ready to answer something neutral, but she was beat to it.

“It’s not your business, Angel. It’s a private talk and you should be discussing things with your own partner, not pry into our affairs.” Sting told her calmly, stunning both women. “So, can you give us some space?”

Her smile faded a bit. “If you insist. But I’ll find out sooner or later.” She sing-sang, waving her hand at them, and went away.

Meanwhile, Lucy felt her heart fill with anger and she narrowed her eyes at the man. “What does she mean by she’ll find out sooner or later?”

He raised his hands in surrender and shook his head. “Woah, don’t get mad, I have nothing to do with that! Somehow, she gets to know everything, Angel has sources everywhere… But we’re safe. I mean, I’m not talking to anyone about the things we do during our sessions. So this time she’s gonna be disappointed.”

“O-oh. Okay.” Lucy blinked and hung her head. She pulled on her sleeve, suddenly guilty. She felt rather uncomfortable with the fact she had talked to Levy. “Thanks.”

“Anyway, before Angel interrupted, we were talking about the last meeting. Apologizing, to be exact. And don’t you worry. _I_ should be the one to do that.”

“No, I swear we’re good.”

“But it’s another time we’re arguing because of—”

“And I’d say it’s completely normal.” Lucy cut in and ghosted a smile. “Really, Sting. Stop acting all diffident. It doesn’t suit you much and it’s definitely not what I’m used to.”

“Not what you’re used to? That I can care?” He raised his brows.

“Not that.” She said calmly and gazed at him, gathering her thoughts and making them resound out loud. “I know you as a collected, a little frisky, and decided guy. I can’t understand why would you be so shaky over this little thing… Such as me and my feelings.”

“Maybe because you haven’t thought about _my_ feelings.” Sting stated quietly. “And maybe because I don’t want to lose you.”

Lucy blinked several times, taking in what he said. Then, she felt that blood was rushing into her face, making her cheeks scarlet. “I-I’m not quite sure if I get it right…”

“I think, being as intelligent as you are, you did catch a hint.”

She lowered her eyes, feeling conflicted within herself. Did he imply…? Yes, seemed like it, and it would not have been the first time. But she could not believe it still. She was aware of that he was watching her on high attention, cautious of every reaction. Should she argue further that he was not, _could not_ be thinking that high of her, or just let it go? Thank him, or ignore it? Change the topic or return the compliment?

“I…” She started, still not convinced, but at that moment Reedus clapped his hands and his voice boomed in the classroom.

“Okay, people! I think you’ve had enough, haven’t you? Anyway, get back to your places and resume with the lecture.”

All the bravery left her and Lucy hung her head lower, staying that way until Sting sighed and stood up. He made a point of brushing her arm with his fingers in a long, sensual move, making her stiffen and throw him a surprised look. Well, it was very bold of him… And public caresses were definitely something new.

Suddenly, she felt observed; indeed, when Lucy turned her head, she saw Angel staring at her with pure hatred. Her eyes were squinted and she was grimacing, clenching her hands in fists. It was disturbing, to be watched with such loathing. The blonde frowned slightly; she was wondering how much Angel had noticed. Was it the moment their talk had become quieter, her reactions, or Sting’s sigh and the fact he had touched her?

Automatically, Lucy glanced at Sting, who just sat down. Apparently, he sensed it, because he returned the gaze. She discretely pointed at Angel, who was still sitting there with a murderous aura. He caught a glimpse of her and frowned, mirroring Heartfilia’s expression.

The blonde turned back to her desk and closed her eyes, breathing unevenly. She had just peached on Angel, his friend. And she had a feeling it would get back on her.

However, it was just the beginning. To her greatest shock, someone pulled the chair next to her and was sitting down there, joining her at the lonely desk. Lucy’s head jerked up and she widened her eyes at the sight.

“What are you doing here?” She uttered, gobsmacked.

“Why, I came to join you. Apparently, you and I…” Angel eyed her with a disgusting smirk. “Need a talk.”

“I need nothing from you.”

“Oh, on the contrary. I think that you must know a few things.” Her pale eyes moved and she stared in the direction of Sting, making Lucy mimic the move. The man was sitting like on pills, visibly uneasy. “I won’t kick around the bush. I want my sexy friend, have for a long while now, but you came in the way.” Lucy turned her head to the woman sharply. “I don’t care what your relationship is as long as you, like I said, don’t stand in the way. And you do, you ugly duckling. So I have a piece of very kind, girl-to-girl advice…”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t—” The blonde began to feel irritated. She could not believe her ears!

Unfortunately, Angel seemed not to listen to her at all and continued as if she had never been interrupted. “Stay away from him. Until the end of the project, well, you must spend time together, so try to discourage him. I fail to see why he could be interested in you, but oh well…”

By then, Lucy was trembling from anger.

“How dare you come to me and say all of that? Have you no shame?”

“It’s you who has no shame.” Angel huffed. “Remember this. He is mine.”

“He’s not your property.” She spat out through gritted teeth.

“Oh, he is. He just doesn’t know that yet…”

“I won’t let you hurt him, Aguria.” Lucy whispered. “He’s had enough, I won’t let you touch him, because I know it’d kill him.”

“You dumb shit, how dare you say this as if you knew him?!” The whitehead was beginning to lose it, too. She caught Lucy’s forearm and dug her nails into it, making her hiss. “Besides, he was my friend even before he’d stumbled upon you. If you’re any smart, you’ll leave him alone. How can you even think he’d look at you like _that_?”

“I don’t.” Lucy mumbled, yanking her hand away despite the grip the other woman had on her. In effect, Angel’s nails scratched her and she hissed, bloody marks marring her arm.

“See? At least you’re not delusional. Then do you promise to leave him alone?”

Lucy shook her head, furious. “No.”

“Are you an idiot? We’ve just agreed that he wouldn’t even look at you. Which leaves him free to me. Just stand back unless you want something bad to happen.”

“I won’t stand back. I-I care about him, so I won’t let you hurt him.” Lucy replied, shaking from fury. “You’re a real bitch, you know? You can’t _make_ him do anything… And I bet being interested in _you_ , Angel, is the last thing he’d ever do!”

“You little fuck! He’s mine. Mine, you hear me?!”

“He’s NOT!”

Suddenly, she realized she was standing and the whole class was staring at her, shocked. Reedus had stopped with whatever he was saying, also gaping at her. In the corner of her eye, Lucy saw that Angel was smirking and she realized; she took the bait. _Fuck_.

“Miss Heartfilia? He’s not… If Monet was not that great as I was saying… Who is, then?” The lecturer tried to save the situation.

Deep red suffused over Lucy’s face and she clenched her hands. “I-I’m sorry…”

She grabbed her bag and rushed to the exit, followed by her colleagues’ eyes. When she was closing the door behind herself, she heard Reedus exclaim:

“And where are _you_ going, Mr. Eucliffe?!”

She did not wait. She ran ahead, not eager to see Sting right then. She was simply not ready to face him yet. Nor anyone else for that matter since tears spilled from her eyes without her knowledge. _Perfect._ But she realized escaping Sting Eucliffe was a lost case when she saw him running behind her in a mirror.

“Don’t, Sting.” She whispered and ran into the women’s bathroom.

But if she thought she would be safe there, she was mistaken, because Sting came inside sweepingly. Lucy squealed and, having run past the second door secluding the sink area, simply locked herself in a cabin.

“Don’t! Go away!” She uttered, sitting on the floor and embracing her knees.

“No. Open the door.”

She knew her voice was evidence enough that she was crying, but she was so adamant he went away that she did not care.

“Leave me! I, I… It’s a women’s bathroom. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Lucy… I don’t care, I came to you.” His soothing voice only made her more teary. The blonde sobbed and clung to her own legs even more. “Come out to me, please.”

“No. I wouldn’t dare!”

“What? Don’t be silly…”

Lucy heard a crack of the lock. Apparently, he closed the access to the cabins, trapping them both inside and making sure nobody else entered. Then, he came back to the door of the cabin and sat on the floor like she did, just on the other side.

“Sting, I really—”

“What did she tell you?” The man sounded angry. “Lucy… Come out to me. Talk to me. You know you can talk to me about anything… including what just happened.”

She sobbed harder. How could she talk to him about _that_? That she was supposed to leave him alone? That Angel wanted him for herself and that it was the reason for their fight? That Aguria had demanded she backed off and made space for the whitehead? Admit she did not want to?!

But she was saved, oh the irony, by another voice resounding in the bathroom.

“You here, ugly blond bimbo? Reedus told me to go and check up on you…” Angel said, clearly irritated.

Lucy was fast; before Sting could say anything and betray he was there with her or, worse, open the door, she stormed out of the cabin and spun to him. Then, she leaned down and covered his mouth with her hand, preventing him from saying anything. At the same time, she had to kneel in front of him, bracing herself on his legs. Once placed there, she sent him an imploring look. The man, ignoring his instincts and the fact she was bracing her rack against his shin, hesitantly nodded, agreeing on being quiet. But she did not take her hand away, knowing he could blow up anyway when he heard Angel talking about the topic that had caused his partner to escape.

“You made me look ridiculous, it wasn’t nice.” Angel said with irony. “See why you must leave him alone? Not only he’d never look at such an ugly bitch with no taste and style, but also you’d only make him embarrassed all the time… Really, is this a kind of autism or just social disability, I would never know. But the point is. You’re not good with or to him.”

Sting widened his eyes, staring at Lucy. His eyes were asking her a silent question to which she did not want to reply, but she knew she had to. She was looking right back at him, her vision blurry due to the tears flowing, her lips trembling. He was searching for a proof that his theory was right and he had not heard anything wrong. His heart was beating fast, he was both excited and nervous. _Holy shit,_ so he did stand a chance. And soon he found what he was seeking for he reached out and caressed her cheek comfortingly, the gesture like asking her to trust him. The woman nodded slowly, gulping. She lowered her hand which he caught and kissed. His fingers traced the red scratches, making her sigh. Then, he leveled his head with her forearm and kissed them, his lips sliding over the damaged skin with delicacy and care. He even dared to lead the tip of his tongue along one of them. Lucy became lightheaded and sighed softly.

“And about the hurting thing? You have guts to implore I’d hurt him… You wouldn’t let me hurt him? It’d kill him? Please. You’d be the one to do that, idiot.”

Lucy blushed deep red when Sting placed his hands on her cheeks and, after scooting closer, whispered into her lips: “You told her that? You brave, sweet, caring, adorable girl. I’m so glad you do care.” She had no time to get lost into his ocean blue eyes, so tender at the moment, because he quickly pecked her lips and stood up, leaving the blonde on the floor with a dumbfounded expression.

He fixed his shirt and stepped to the door and unlocked it. Throwing at Lucy one last glance, he opened it to face the imposter.

“Finally, I thought—” Angel, who intended to mock the other woman, found herself face to face with Sting. She yelped and stumbled back. “What the fuck?!”

“Leave, Angel. Now.” He growled.

“B-but…”

“I’m warning you. And if I ever learn that you bother Lucy, and believe me, I will, you’ll be dealing with me.” He stated, crossing his arms. “Especially that this is not the first time.”

From the back, Lucy was watching the man with widened eyes. She was still sitting on the floor, trembling. What she could not understand was _why_ he would take her side. And actually defend her. Angel, as horrible as she was, was his friend, after all. And she felt terrible about ruining their relationship.

Yet, in a moment, all the scruples disappeared upon hearing the next phrase.

“S-she’s told you?!” Angel whispered, then spat. “She’s lied, then! Don’t listen to her—”

“No. You told me yourself. Or rather yelled it at her, which I heard.” Sting barked. “Fuck. That attitude! You have guts to even try that on me.”

“Y-you don’t get it. Listen, Sti—”

“No. _You_ don’t get it, Angel.” He shook his head and frowned. “Leave.”

There was silence for at least a minute before Lucy heard the woman sniff and growl out in an intimidating tone.

“You’re gonna regret it, Sting.” The whitehead threatened.

“Yeah, sure. Now go.”

She turned around and fled, almost throwing bolts of anger. Sting made sure she was gone for good and slowly closed the door, locking them again. Lucy watched how his shoulders flexed and rolled, relaxing after the confrontation. Then, he turned to the blonde and unhurriedly approached her just to sit beside her and observe her.

“Alright?”

“I-I’m not sure.” Lucy admitted, making him half-chuckle, half-spit. Her face was open, expressing every thought in her head. He seemed mesmerized—until she asked. “I mean, why would you defend me and take my side?”

“Because I don’t make the same mistakes twice.” Immediately, Sting told her gently. “I know you don’t lie. And I know you were worried about Angel coming to you… So it didn’t take me long to realize what was going on. Especially when you stared up and screamed in the classroom.”

“Still, she’s your—”

“And you’re also my friend. Much better at that, too.”

The man scooted closer and took her hand without hesitance, caressing it with his long fingers. She looked down, observing the action. She had to bite her lip not to smile even a bit; because even though the situation was serious, he truly felt happy about his admission. A few tears went down her face. “Sting…”

He reached out and thumbed off the tears, then leaned ahead and kissed her forehead tenderly. She shivered, but did not look up nor escape. “You look like three halves from death… Can I comfort you?”

“H-how?”

“Let me hold you.”

Hesitantly, Lucy nodded. She needed that, desperately needed a friend beside herself. She needed comfort, closeness, another person holding her while she wept. Therefore, he brought her closer and embraced her, bracing the woman on his broad chest. Lucy took a moment before hugging him back, but she eventually did, making him sigh.

They were sitting peacefully like that: on the bathroom floor, the woman wrapped around his form, sobbing, the man with his head on top of hers, from time to time descending to whisper something into her hair or left ear. Finally, Lucy calmed herself down enough to mumble:

“Sting… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And thank _you_.”

Heartfilia shifted on his lap and lifted her head to look at him. She became a little startled when she realized the distance between their faces was so small, yet, did not move back. She was gaping at him, inspecting his handsome face and his features, then gazing into his eyes; those beautiful, deep, understanding, tender eyes she was beginning to adore. Was she losing her mind?

“What for?” She whispered weakly.

“For making me realize that Angel’s not that good.”

Lucy stayed silent. She remained in the position, though, staring at the man. She could not help nor explain what was happening within her, why she felt so in conflict with herself. She was delirious and eager… And, above all, she truly was scared.

Suddenly, he shifted under her and his breath hitched. “Lucy, I swear that if you continue to look at me like this, I’ll kiss you.”

But she did not stop, a little fascinated. She found herself interested in whether he was serious… Moreover, at the mention of kissing, her eyes unconsciously transferred to his lips, inspecting them. Sting was trying to control himself, but he knew it would not last long. Not with the blonde being so innocently sexy.

“I wonder…” Lucy said quietly, not diverting her eyes even for a second.

“About what?”

However, she only blushed hard—like those words had escaped her mouth by accident, unwillingly. And, for him, that had done it.

The man dived in and got a hold of her face, delicately, softly, then slowly joined their lips, giving her time and possibility to escape if she changed her mind. Thank gods she did not. They both sighed, aware of the thick air and tension between them. He kissed her unhurriedly, devouring her. After a few of his moves, she responded.

Sting exhaled hard and his hands crept up her back to her hair, entangling themselves in the rich locks. He made their lips move faster, dictating the tempo. He could not take it overly slow anymore, nor let her lead the smooch. He craved her. Needed to feel her as much as he could at the moment. Learn her taste so that he could remember it every second he was away from her.

As to Lucy, she felt simply right—and that was scaring her above all the other things. Sting’s kiss was something just as exciting as terrifying, still, something she truly wanted. Was it that, somehow, he had cured her a little from her trauma? Step by step, slowly yet strongly? Well. She did not know and, frankly, she did not care about that at the moment.

She felt his hands pressing her against him more, and that one of them traveled down on her lower back, dangerously close to her booty. She shifted, making him moan; she realized she moved from his lap onto his groin and she herself was getting excited… She leaned in even more, both wanting and not wanting to stop. Her breasts pressed tightly against his chest, she sighed with satisfaction when his right hand stopped on her hip, gripping her. Unconsciously, her left hand traveled up and into his gelled hair, taking a rich fist of his locks and attaching itself to his scalp. Sting gave out a masculine moan, reminded of his dream and thrilled it was happening for real.

But before she do anything more, the outer door opened and a few giggling girls entered the bathroom, then tried to open the second door separating them from Sting and Lucy.

Hearing the handle move, the woman jumped like she had burnt herself. She started up, startled, animated, and blushed. Lucy turned around, crossing her arms and shivering, suddenly full of resent. Sting brushed his hair back, thinking fast. Should he let the girls in and, at the same time, hide in the cabin with the blonde? Or pretend the toilet was closed?

Finally, he stood up and approached the woman, but not before adjusting his trousers.

“Lucy, we need to act quick.” He said quietly. “I’ll hide in the cabin, you open the door, then join me.”

“But I’ve been crying and it shows.” She tried to protest, but was silenced.

“That’s the point. You had a real and actual excuse for locking the door.”

Lucy sniffed; he was right. Moreover, he could not be seen there… Oh God. Exactly. “Fine, go.”

Sting passed to the first cabin quickly, half-closing the door and standing as far as he could so that his legs would not be seen. Meanwhile, she took a deep breath and went for the door. She unlocked it and faced four girls, who stared at her.

“Sorry. I needed a moment alone.” Lucy mumbled and rushed back to the cabin where Sting was. Fortunately, the intruders were rather friendly and reassured her they understood. The blonde closed the cabin and sighed, catching a glimpse of the man, who was standing in a corner, watching her. She rolled her eyes and whispered. “Damn, when they go, we need to escape.”

“Me and my reputation depend on you.” He told her with a slight smile. “And I’d love to talk to you in a more private place than a public bathroom at our faculty…”

“About what?” Lucy turned her head away. “I-if it’s about what happened a few moments ago…”

“Precisely.”

“I-I’m not ready.” She whispered.

“Lucy. Don’t you think we _should_ talk about it?” Sting said carefully.

“P-probably.” Heartfilia looked completely lost. “But could you give me some time? Please. So many things happened today and I can’t act just like it’s nothing about it… It’s too important to be quick about it. And, to be honest… You are too important.”

He gazed at her with seriousness, musing. At last, he said: “Okay. Fine. But you’re gonna have much to explain.”


	11. Persuasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. She was a quiet young woman who preferred to stay alienated. That is, until she was put into a project together with the most handsome and desired man from her faculty and was forced to model for each other... naked. Now, Lucy's forced to face her demons and trauma from the past as she slowly falls in love with her sexy partner who does everything to make her fall for him. Involves drama with jealous Angel, family issues, referenced rape, sexual content. Rating will go up. // Edited and changed for more graphic and explicit than the original version on FF.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much changed from the original storyline, I really hope you'll love it, though :)

All in all, the blondes had managed to escape from the ladies’ bathroom. They parted almost speechlessly, the man rather irritated and the woman embarrassed. She could not believe she had done that… again. And that she had left him hanging. So, during the next days, Lucy was trying to avoid Sting as much as possible. In her head, any encounter would be just too awkward to handle and she was not ready to do anything about it. Yet, apparently fully aware of what she was trying to do, he would not let her forget about himself. He was writing to her constantly and meeting her both at the college as well as in random places. Not to count the meetings they were holding within the week, and there were three of those.

The first two encounters went… well, somehow. Although Lucy was terribly nervous and simply could not relax at all. It damaged the pose she was to take, she was aware, but the stress was stronger than the necessity to do it. The fact that at the beginning of every single session—right after coming in—the man was bringing her to himself and kissing her, claiming that he wanted her to be ready for posing was not helpful either. Furthermore, each exchanged word seemed to have a second meaning and she was terrified of what it could mean.

Meanwhile Sting, who understood nothing, was both startled and rather irritated that she was playing it that way.

“You know, I thought you’d at least be true.” Once, he socked it to her when she refused to meet his eyes again and dodged every question directed at her. “To yourself, to me… And I really hope you’re not just playing with my feelings.”

“I’m sorry.” Was her constant reply. She was simply not ready to face him. Still, it was not that she was not trying to figure the situation out. In fact, Lucy was coming home every day and, sitting under a blanket with some relaxing music, she was pondering. Over herself and her feelings, about Sting and his emotions, their interactions, what was happening between them, and what could be only wishful interpretation of hers. And even though it had been a few days already, she had come up with nothing in particular.

Except for that she was definitely falling into some deep shit and, at a glance, with each day she was becoming more and more attached to Eucliffe.

Finally, on the third posing session—and after his bold remark—, Lucy was so uneasy that she could not handle even the easiest details. After having been kissed, she tried and failed to make her nipples pert the way they had to be.

Sting was having a rather bad day, so he was short on patience. He observed her struggles for a few minutes and sighed in frustration. He put the tools down and cleared his throat loud enough to catch her attention.

“If you won’t make them like we need it, _I’ll_ take care of them.” Sting warned.

“No!”

What was he trying to do? She tried harder, but Lucy was so concerned that she simply could not bring herself to react. Frantic, she hurt herself and yelped. Suddenly, she realized that the man had already approached her and was now standing in front of her, his shadow towering over her form. She blushed hard and almost burst out crying on the thought of her private area being touched by anyone. Even him.

He eyed her. She was paralyzed by fear. But though he cared, Sting only sighed and said gently: “You know, I won’t bite… Too hard.”

“Sting, no, I can’t let you do that.” Lucy covered her chest and her shoulders slumped, trying to cover as much skin as possible. He would not force himself on her… She was certain. But the closeness…

“Take your hands away.”

She gulped and shook her head. “Please, don’t make me do this.”

“I must.” He frowned. “Besides, I’ve done already much on your request and look where it got us. We need to draw it today, Lucy. I can’t draw details _without_ the details. Now, uncover yourself and stop panicking. I will not do anything out of line.”

Lucy shook her head again. That was already out of line. Nonetheless, Sting only frowned and caught her face in his hands. He could feel her burning skin and her whole body trembling, and hesitated. If she really did not want that… He would relent. He would never do anything traumatizing to her. Or anything to assault her. Never.

But, to know the real answer, he needed her to face him, not close her eyes and squeeze the lids so hard they went white.

“Look. I won’t force myself on you. You do know that.” His thumbs caressed her cheeks gently. Then, he added seriously: “But I’d like a little cooperation.”

“But, but why do you have to touch me?” Lucy uttered, feeling a lump in her throat.

“It works. And I want to, I won’t lie about it. I want it so bad that I can barely keep the hands to myself.”

She gasped, shocked by his honesty. However, her body reacted just as he would wish for; her stomach clenched and her blood rushed around her form, spreading the burning feeling throughout her.

“Lucy… Uncover yourself.”

Her eyes opened and she stared at him with reproach; he expected so much from her! He had no idea. No idea how much it truly cost her. She knew it was partly her fault, yes, because she had said nothing, never elaborated on how she was feeling and why. But he did have eyes, he did see her reactions, damn. And she had already given him more than she had ever thought she would have… And then she remembered the previous meeting and what he had said; and the perspective changed drastically. She realized she seemed to be playing with him and deceiving him… She had also asked much of him, ignoring his needs or desires for her own sake, thinking only about herself and her phobia…

It was not fair towards him. He did not deserve to be treated that way. She was hot one day, then cold. No wonder he was frustrated. So, at last, Lucy slowly took off her hands, still gazing at him with her big, scared doe eyes.

Eucliffe stopped. He did not want her to unwillingly permit him to touch her, but she was not leaving him any other choice but to persuade her more. Thus, having obtained the allowance, he leaned in and captured her mouth, at the same time caressing her neck with his fingers. Then, when he made the kiss more aggressive to divert her attention, they slid lower, proceeding. Sting started breathing heavier when his hands cupped her full boobs; he sighed into her cavern, flicking his tongue instinctually. Lucy hummed, trying to pull back, but could not bring herself to push him away for real. She lost herself in the tenderness of the kiss and the intoxicating smell of the man. She barely registered that his fingers circled her nipples, then rolled them, teasing. As if pulled out of a reverie, she felt a wave of pleasure and fear going through her. Yet, she could not help it. She moaned. At that, Sting broke the kiss and smirked at her.

“See, it’s not so bad, is it?”

In response, Lucy yelped when his fingers pinched her. She was becoming excited and her nipples began to stand a little. Sting tsk-ed and, staring at them, bowed lower.

“Fuck, they’re perfect.”

He licked one of her tits and boldly sucked the nipple into his mouth. Lucy moaned again, her breath short. Eucliffe worked on her for a while, enjoying her taste and sweet little sounds she was making. She could not restrain them; at the same time, she was feeling terrible about what was happening. About the fact he was touching her so freely, so shamelessly… It was beyond intimate. It was purely sexual. And guess what, she did not really mind. The disturbing feeling of acceptance and enticement overwhelmed her. But why? She had used to panic whenever a man touched her… And there she was! With Sting doing—! Doing what he was doing. She could not help but wonder why it felt so… _okay_ with him.

_Maybe because you want it to happen. You want him to touch you._

_Maybe because you know you’re falling in love._

No. That was not right.

 _You know you already_ are _in love with him._

Realization hit her in the face and Lucy almost fainted at that thought. She remembered Levy warning her about not falling for the man… It had been a wise piece of advice. Nevertheless. How on earth could she have prevented it? And, just like that, she truly became terrified.

If she had really fallen for him… What should she do?!

Leading him on was obviously not an option.

Meanwhile, Sting teased her other nipple for the last time and pulled away with a loud smack, his eyes cloudy and his lips stretched in a dreamy smile. “Like that. I need them like this.”

Lucy wanted nothing but for the ground to swallow her up; she did not dare to look at him. Yet, he did not seem to expect it from her for he simply stood up and returned to the easel. She felt so stupid, so lowly… And cheap. Fortunately, she had only some more posing left and she would run home—away from him and her dilemmas.

“Lucy. Pose.” Sting reminded her, his voice waking her up from her reverie. The woman collected herself as much as she could and retook her position, not wanting him to see just how much his actions had messed her up.

He was working in silence, focusing on the details he finally had and finishing the drawing. She did not mind the quietness. Only once did she catch a glimpse of him; Sting seemed deep in thought, but also visibly pumped… Her lack of resistance had to animate him. Lucy blinked, not letting her traitorous brain think about what had been happening not even five minutes before. She restrained herself from trembling and posed on.

At last, he sighed and smiled, eyeing the drawing. “Okay. Done. You can dress up and see it… Unless you wanna come naked, then I don’t mind.”

Wordlessly, Lucy stood up and hurried to the couch where she had left her clothes. She dressed up quickly and abashedly stood there, not sure how to act nor what to do. Eventually, she came closer to the easels and, without sparing him a look, gazed at the drawing.

And then she took a sharp breath in.

The drawing was extremely realistic; her figure was full, detailed, and provocatively emphasized. Her expression was daring. Unwillingly, Lucy admitted he had been right all along; she had had to have pert nipples and swollen lips… She was seeing the convention now. But the woman in the picture was somehow more… Erotic? Daring? She did not know…

But, even though she was _the_ model… She was not that woman.

“Well?” Sting prompted, cautious of every reaction. He was watching her thoroughly, determined not to let anything slip.

“T-this is… Wow.” Lucy managed to say, impressed. “The details are mesmerizing.” She managed to enlist the things she considered extraordinary. The man was a great artist and it showed. After all, constructive criticism was something essential. “Although I have to admit, I never thought I could look like you made me.”

“You can. And you always do.” He sighed and approached her, but did not invade her privacy. “Lucy, this is how I see you. Each time I look at you, you’re like this in my eyes. Hot and beautiful.”

She transferred her eyes at him, pondering. “But I—”

“Did you think that loose clothes would prevent me from seeing you like that?” The man spat. “That they would make you invisible? Less desirable?”

Abashed, Heartfilia scowled. “I hoped so.”

“Then you’ve got it all wrong.” He grunted and took another step towards her, making her back away under the wall. “Totally wrong.”

She realized she had done a stupid thing when Sting trapped her between his arms, leaning against the wall on both sides of her head. Lucy had no way of escaping; below his arms, there were his legs trapping her.

She cursed in her head, realizing that was Eucliffe’s plan all along.

She was cornered.

“Listen, I… I’ve been thinking about the last events, what you said to me, to Angel, and what you did… Or _we_ did, if you prefer it that way. Frankly, I don’t understand what we _are_ doing, whatever is happening between us.” He swallowed and continued, his hypnotizing, blue eyes drilling into hers. “I know I’d love for it to mean something more, but it’s just my own desire. I’m into you, I feel something for you. But you? I don’t have any idea what you’re thinking. Shit, I don’t know what you want. And why you act so, so hot and cold. I, I need an answer. Just… say something. Anything. I’ve been waiting for a whole week and I can’t take it anymore. I don’t know what I stand on and what I should make of it… Please. I _need_ your reply.”

She flushed under the intensity of his sight. His expression was both hopeful and desperate. And he was right, so right that his words burned. The truth behind them made her feel even more pathetic. He was lost and she was making him even more confused. It was all her fault. So, she decided to be as honest as possible.

“I-I’m still not sure… I’m trying, Sting. Every day I come back and think about you… About us. If I can, am able to answer you one hundred percent truthfully… And I—”

“What’s there to think about? It’s pretty simple. Do you want me or not? Do you have feelings for me or not?”

“In my case, those are not the principal questions. Because I do… I do.” Lucy whispered, making the last word almost not hearable. It was all she could utter at the moment.

Eucliffe stared at her, taking her words in. Finally, he sighed and visibly deflated. “I don’t understand. If you do—”

“I know. And I’m sorry. I really am.” She said, reaching out. She hesitated, but then finally cupped his cheek.

He leaned into her palm and closed his eyes for a moment. She enjoyed his warm cheek in her hand, the gesture intimate but sweet. In spite of herself, the woman smiled softly; she could get used to it sooner than she would think.

Suddenly, the man spat and stepped even closer to her, that time joining their bodies. Lucy squealed, both surprised and ashamed at the sudden contact. Also, at the fact she could feel him perfectly, pressing into her belly. “Which doesn’t mean I can’t persuade you more.”

Before she could come up with a response, Sting licked his lips and swiftly kissed her from below: shortly, but extremely sweetly. Lucy gasped, her insides twisting. “Say yes.” He hummed, then backed away a few inches just to kiss her again, that time tenderly. “Say yes to me.” She felt manipulated and messed with, unable to think straight. Now with him like that. Her hands itched and she wanted nothing more but to throw them around his neck, yet, she held them to herself. The man stepped into her even more, again kissing her lightly, romantically. “Lu… Say yes.” She rasped and almost fell; he held her tightly, then brushed her hair back and tilted her head. “Say it.” Sting smashed his lips on hers, that time for longer. Lucy moaned into his mouth, feeling his hardness twitch. She moved her hips into him instinctually. He growled, not breaking the kiss, and made it even more aggressive, brushing his front against her. She almost melted, giving herself up and under his control.

Suddenly, Sting pulled back, greedily catching air through his mouth. She was also hyperventilating, observing him. She was aware of that she had betrayed herself; she could not pretend to be indifferent anymore. Yet, she did not want to act on it. Lucy almost groaned from impatience. She was the worst…

While she was fighting with her thoughts, she did not notice him getting closer and kissing her cheek, then right behind her ear—just to stop at her earlobe.

“Tell me.” Sting mumbled against her ear. His breath tickled just the place he bit on seconds later, making her hot and emit a desperate moan.

A violent shudder overtook her and she turned crimson. She was about to voice something, give him an answer; however…

Unexpectedly, they heard the entrance door open and then close, and a greeting of a man. Sting swore and regretfully left the woman alone; she blinked a few times before she understood he had done that for her to shape up, so she quickly brushed her hair back and massaged her face to get rid of the blush. Well, at least partly.

“Sting?” A minute later his flat mate came into the room without knocking. He stopped in half of his step when he saw his friend was not alone. “Oh, excuse me.”

“No, we’ve just finished.” Eucliffe told him, hiding the drawing away. “This is Lucy. Lucy, this is Ryos.”

“I know. Hi.” She replied and smiled at the brunet, who waved at her.

“Nice to meet you at the very last. Sting’s been talking about you much, but never cared to share you.”

“Oh?” Lucy laughed a little, catching a glimpse of the blond man, who frowned. She wondered how much Ryos knew about their relationship.

“Thanks, Rogue.”

“Anyway, gotta go. It’s getting pretty late.” She announced swiftly and started to collect her things.

“I’ll walk you out.” Sting offered, but she shook her head, trying not to look straight at him and still remain polite.

“No, you probably haven’t seen Ryos much lately, so stay and have a pep talk with him. He seems to want to have it.”

“Hey!” Rogue crossed his arms, raising his brows. Yet, he seemed amused if anything.

“And as to the next meeting…” Heartfilia emphasized the word _meeting_. “I’ll text you today.”

Sting tried not to look grumpy when he packed his hands into his pockets and frowned slightly. “Uh. Fine.”

The whole trio moved to the door, where Lucy quickly pulled her boots on and grabbed the coat. The men watched as she was hiding herself in the scarf and under a cap, then gazed at them.

“See you, guys. And Sting… Thanks.”

Having said that, she left as quickly as possible. Before the door closed behind her, she heard Ryos probing: “She looked startled… What have you done to her?”

* * *

 

_So? You were supposed to text me._

Lucy was hanging over the phone, trying to form a logical and coherent sentence. Levy and she were working on the nails, making them look presentable for the next day’s party. Of course, in some companion of wine and crisps.

McGarden, who could clearly see that something was not entirely right with her friend, sharpened her senses when the blonde’s phone beeped. She observed her expression change and her brow furrow upon reading the text. The petite woman had already tried to find out what had happened before, yet, the blonde refused to tell her anything. And now there was a chance to find it out, assuming Lu would ask for advice.

Meanwhile, Lucy’s cheeks blushed and she bit her lip in anxiety. Yes, she had promised to be the first one to get in touch with the man, but it seemed like he was done with waiting. She knew she should simply tell him that she would love for him to be at the tomorrow’s department party… However, _how_ she should do that was beyond her. The idea of just demanding his presence there would be too bold, right? But so would beating around the bush… Thus, she sighed heavily. It was time to involve Levy before she replied.

“Lev, how do you ask a guy to come somewhere with you?”

“You still haven’t told him about the club party?” The bluenette rolled her eyes. “Gee, you’re silly. Now the party’s so soon you should pray he doesn’t have anything else planned.”

“I know I screwed up already.” Lucy scowled. “Thanks for nothing.”

She took a moment, tapping on the screen, and then typed and sent the message before she could doubt herself again.

_Yeah. So, um… Have you heard of our faculty’s party?_

“Mind telling me what has you so edgy?” Levy tried again, her tone serious.

“In a moment.” Lucy said, dismissing her and opening a newly arrived text.

_Yeah, so?_

She tapped her nails on the desk. Was he thick? Was it not obvious? _I was wondering, are you going tomorrow?_

“Have you asked him at last?” Levy butted in, fed up with being ignored. She scurried closer and stuck her head over her shoulder in an attempt to read the conversation.

“Yes.”

“So? What did he do?”

Heartfilia eyed her nagging friend. Apparently, it was time she talked to her. Thus, she opened her mouth to reply, but the yet again beeping phone caught both women’s attention.

_I don’t know. Don’t tell me, are you?_

_Yes. I am…_

_Wow. You at a party. In a club. Wow. I’d like to see that._

She giggled and shook her head. “He says he wants to see that.”

“That he does.” McGarden nodded, staring at the screen. “Then reply coquettishly.”

“Okay.”

_You will if you come ;)_

She closed her eyes and imagined Sting laying on his bed, smirking at the phone he was holding above his head. The emoji at the end was suggestive, and rightly so. She wanted him to read it the certain way. And maybe he had, because the following answer was a confirmation of sorts.

_You convinced me. But I can’t imagine you there in those strange clothes you’re wearing._

“He _will_ come! Oh my God.” Lucy squealed, jumping and hitting Levy under her chin with her shoulder. The woman grunted in pain and backed away to massage the sore place.

“Um, okay? You’re definitely too excited, honey.” Levy shook her head and sighed theatrically. “I knew it’d end like this.”

“N-no, it’s not that. I just… I am excited, yes, but…” She tried to deny, but stopped. She did not want to lie to her best friend, and she had no more arguments to use. So, in order to save herself, she added lamely. “You’ll see tomorrow.”

“Oh, definitely. Now, answer before he gets bored and returns to playing a videogame or something.”

Lucy hit her friend’s shoulder and rolled her eyes when she saw Levy smirk. He questioned her ability to pick something appropriate, which was insulting. She had, or had had, a perfect taste in fashion, just not that apparent. But she did not want to tell him that she would be forced to wear something her friend would make her. She wanted Sting to see for himself.

_Shut up._

_Still, I’ll be there. Today I’ll talk to my folks._

_Awesome. And, um, when we meet tomorrow somehow… If we do, that is, I wanna talk to you._

The respond came quicker than a light.

_I hope so. High time you did, sweet cheeks._

“What is he on about?” McGarden was back to reading the conversation, curious beyond belief. “It must be good.”

“Gimme a minute to wrap it up. And what I’m about to write… I’ll explain in a moment.”

“Fine.”

_But I wasn’t lying about those two questions you asked me. I really do._

_The questions…?_

_Y’know. If I want you and like you…_

_Oh. I know. The more I wanna hear it straight. Oh, what are you doing to me… Lucy…_

The woman bit her lip. Should she play it like she wanted to? She would give him hope, and that was her goal. But if he read too much in it… But was he not worth the risk? He was. Absolutely. Thus, she typed experimentally, but did not send it. _The question is, what are YOU doing to ME. You shouldn’t be able to even touch me… And yet, today you obtained much, so much more…_

“What?”

“I, I…”

But Levy did not wait. Not only that, but also took the phone away and reread the whole conversation, gapping at the last message for longer. Finally, she nodded, smirked, and looked at the blonde, telling her:

 “Okay, seems awesome.” And she sent the text to the man.

“NO! Levy! I never wanted to do that!” Lucy yelled, retaking her phone and checking if the message really did sent itself. The answer made her grimace and turn to her supposed friend, swinging her arms. “Why did you do it, I can’t believe you!”

“Why did _you_ , Lu.” She glared at the host with a smirk. “You let him touch you? And didn’t even tell me… I’m impressed by his bravery and your progress. But still I feel a bit betrayed.”

“It’s not what you think, Lev.” Heartfilia frowned and slumped on the sofa. Her strength left her and she found herself lost. “H-he needed some details for the drawing, okay? I couldn’t really do anything about it…”

But she knew it was not the truth. She could have told him no, and he would have listened. But she simply could not have done it… Had not wanted to.

“So, what did he do? Spill.”

Lucy took a deep breath and uttered: “W-we were kissing, and he also took care of my bust.”

“WHAT!”

Before she could hear what else Levy had to say, her cell phone vibrated. Levy sat behind the blonde to see Sting’s text, still worked up and shocked. And, frankly, thrilled.

_Still not enough. You saw the drawing. I know you realized. This is how I see you each time  you’re in the same room as me. An amazing woman, kind, caring, funny. Physically, you’re straight hot, sexy, making me hard. Damn, doesn’t matter if it’s in a lecture with Mr. Jet, or if you’re in front of me, completely nude, posing for me. In fact, I wouldn’t mind having you anywhere. I feel like a hormonal teenager, but that’s the way you make me feel._

“Wait. He speaks so boldly and shit… He doesn’t know that you were—?” McGarden widened her eyes, even more, if possible, shocked.

“No. And I’m definitely not going to tell him yet. But, my gosh, this message…!” Lucy brought her knees to her chest, shivering. His message wreaked a havoc within her. Her whole being was both confused and amazed, her mind screaming for help, her gut demanding attention, her heart beating like crazy. The thrill of the moment passed, though, and she was left with Levy’s question hanging over her head. “Then what should I reply now?”

“Wait up. But he knows you were scarred, doesn’t he?”

“That— yeah.”

“Write him something like: _Sting, I’ve told you that I was bruised in the past. Believe me, any other man would be laying dead in the grave, and you’re still alive and well._ ”

“Isn’t this a bit too dramatic?” The blonde spat.

“I said _something like that._ Have a better idea?”

“No.”

“Then move it, answer.”

Lucy did and, when the text was sent, gazed at her companion. “Maybe you wanna talk to him? You seem to be having much fun, and generally deal with the situation quite well…”

“Oh! Can I?” Levy’s eyes twinkled, making her friend laugh.

“Of course not. I was just teasing.”

“Damn.”

Another beep made the women jump and throw themselves at the device, frantically opening the app.

_I must be right when I say those events had a sexual undertow._

“Admit it. He knows anyway.” The bluenette advised her.

_Cpt Obvious._

_I’m sorry. Then tell me… Although it’s pretty damn late for that, are you okay with the kisses I give you?_

_Your kisses don’t hurt me anymore… Remember when I told you it was all torturous? Well, it’s not anymore… But only if it’s with you. But I’m grateful that after me posing, y’know, when we… Um, kissed, you didn’t try to touch me._

“Oh, so now you _kissed_ after a session?” McGarden teased, merciless. “And how was that?”

“Am-amazing, if you really need to know.” Lucy scowled and frowned. “And he was respectful.”

_You have no idea how much self-control it cost me…_

“Aw. He really must care if he’s admitted that to you.” Levy clapped her hands, then focused solely on the blonde. Her face expressed only curiosity and gravity when she was asking the next question. “But it makes me wonder, just what kind of relationship is _your_ relationship?”

“Complicated.” Lucy reassured her plainly and wrote:

 _I can imagine. And could definitely_ feel _you wanting more. But thank you, Sting._

_Anytime._

“Alright, she-Casanova, if you’re done, let’s continue doing our nail because we’re running out of time.”

“Oh, right.” Lucy nodded. “I’ll just say bye and I’m all yours.”

She ignored her friend’s sneering and typed. _Brb because I need to take care of my nails again._

_Doing nails? Alone or with that friend of yours?_

_With Levy._

_Fine. Will you send me a pic of your nails when you’re done?_

“He wants—” Lucy sputtered. “What? Nails? What for?”

“You can be really daft. Fine then! There comes the last layer and I’m taking a photo.”

The women covered their nails with other colors again and waited till it was all dry. Later, Levy took her phone and ordered Lucy to pose.

“But it’s just nails!”

“No, I’ll make it better.” She sing-sang, wondering why the blonde was so silly. The guy’s request was not at all innocent, and it was light as day. “Fine, place your hands on your chest.”

“What?!”

“Do it! I can’t be sitting like that for the whole night.” Lucy hesitantly placed her hands there, widening her fingers so that her nails would be visible. “Okay, now bring your hands closer to each other…” Which resulted in Lucy pushing her boobs more together. _At least he knows those very well…_

“Okay; now look up a bit.”

“No.” The blonde furrowed her brows. “It’d look as if I was asking for him.”

“Exactly.” Levy grinned. “Oh come on, you like the guy. Just show him that a bit.”

“I swear I’m gonna kill you some day.”

“Not today, though.”

Lucy gazed up, feeling rather giddy, and her little friend took the photo. But when she reached out for the cell phone, eager to see the picture, Levy giggled and clicked a few things, bringing it out of her reach. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. I’ve already sent the best pic.”

The blonde frowned and reached out again, that time acquiring the device. “I wanted to see it fir— My God!” Lucy exclaimed and covered her mouth, mortified. “I really look like I’m asking to suck on him…”

“You see why I sent it before you saw it?”

“Still, I really don’t—”

“No, shut up. This is awesome. Wait for his answer.”

It came some time later. Lucy saw it was an MMS before she opened it… Fascinated, she clicked on the banner and cried out, making the other girl crawl to her on the floor. Meanwhile, Lucy was goggling at the picture of his boner in the boxers. It left pretty much nothing to imagination. His huge erection was almost painfully hard, she bet. Unconsciously, Lucy licked her lips and moaned.

“God…”

“What?” Levy took her phone to see better and froze. “Oh wow. Oh Lucy, you lucky beast, oh my. Wait a sec… Oh. Don’t you just wanna lick him?”

“I-I guess, like a lollipop…”

“Isn’t this sexy?!”

“Oh, so sexy…”

“Fine. Okay. Then this part of our conversation went straight to him.”

“WHAT!”

Lucy wanted to punch herself in the face for allowing Levy within five meters from her phone. Just what was she thinking?!

“I chose the voice response and recorded you and your lust-filled, husky voice. Mm sexy, he’s gonna come to that.” Levy grinned evilly and laughed when Lucy snatched her phone back, looking at it with panic.

“I hate you.”

“I know you do, hon.”

She played the recording. _Don’t you just wanna lick him?... I-I guess, like a lollipop… Isn’t this sexy?... Oh, so sexy._ She sounded so needy, so frustrated, so enchanted… “Oh God. I will never look him in the face again.”

“Oh you will. And you will answer when he writes.”

But minutes were passing and the women were both turning more and more impatient. Levy wanted to enjoy the show more and Lucy convinced herself that he got mad at her. No wonder, she had spent the last one and a half months on pushing him away and there she was, sending him such a thing…

“Maybe he’s still going at it.” Levy wondered out loud.

“Stop with the sex jokes. Maybe he’s simply had enough of our shit.” Lucy corrected, bitter.

“Such a pity!”

The blonde gazed at the device with both sadness and worry. There was nothing, not even a beep. She really should have not let her friend touch her things…

Unexpectedly, her phone vibrated, but it was longer than a text vibration. Widening her eyes, Lucy grabbed it and saw that Sting Eucliffe was calling her. “Fuck, he’s calling me?!”

“Hell yeah, pick it up!”

Not thinking much, she answered. “H-hello?”

“Fuck, Lucy, what the actual hell was that?!” Sting’s voice was hoarse and raspy, as though he had been running.

“I-I had no idea it was being recorded!” She defended herself a bit, blushing hard. “I’m sorry you heard it.”

“Shit, don’t be sorry. It was too hot, I had to jerk off before calling you… but if you wanna tell me anything, or need something from me, say it. I can come over.”

“N-no, I mean, I’ll be okay.”

“Even though you’ve just begged for it?”

“Yeah…”

The man on the other end sighed. “You’re a coward, you know that?”

Lucy nodded and closed her eyes. “I know.”

“And there’s nothing to be scared of. You’d like it how I’d lick your wet pu—”

At that moment, she jumped and ended the talk, not wanting to hear Sting finish the sentence. Her imagination definitely was too vivid to listen to such things. And she knew for a fact he wanted to say what she thought he did.

“What, why?” Levy complained.

“Because we ended the conversation.” Lucy replied as calmly as she could have, blushing hard.

“No, he was saying something and you hung up!”

“Let’s work on our nails more, can we?”

The blonde would never admit it, but she was rather keyed on by then, his words taking their toll on her. Moreover, when she put the phone down, she received yet another message, that time short, but from the same sender. Yet, after reading it, Lucy shook her head and threw the device away so that it would not distract her more that evening.

_Lol, love your reaction. Still, I would do it. And you would love it, no matter what you say, Lucy Heartfilia._


	12. The party

Sting was impatient.

He was getting annoyed with her. Lucy was not as much as leading him on, but rather she presented herself as hot one day, prone to his flirt, eager to flirt right back even, then the next day she was cold, closed off, and he understood nothing. Their sexting was the only thing that kept him certain of her own attraction. Another thing were the rare moments they exchanged kisses. Or rather he was forcing her to kiss him.

Sting groaned. He still felt like shit over the fact she had to be _made_ to do that. Maybe he was just a bad person to keep trying to get her?

Nonetheless, she had promised to talk to him during the party, but he doubted it would help the matter much. Sting scowled and tried to rid himself of the hope building up inside of his chest. He was unsure of what she was playing at.

After the bathroom incident, he was torn. On one hand, he was elated; she had kissed him back and was all over him, too. On the other, though, he did not understand why she was so reluctant to actually act on her own attraction towards him. It was clear as a sun she was coming to him like a moth to a flame. And he had promised her time.

However, he was not so sure he would withstand.

After all, she was his drug.

* * *

 

The day of the party, Lucy woke up both anxious and excited. It was the day she would attend a party at a club with people she had been trying not to get to know before, and she could not be more nervous. Moreover, Angel was supposed to be there as well, since Sting was going to drop by, but Levy blackmailed her into attending anyway. Besides, Sting was going to be there, too. And she had promised him she would be there. It was a factor which had her feeling both better and worse, because she had notified him of her need to talk. And she knew what he would be expecting.

She was not convinced, though, whether she should wear a dress that her friend brought her from Magnolia or stay loose. Turned out Levy picked it up at her old house, believing the blonde’s figure did not change much. But the dress was tight and revealing… Lucy squirmed when she remembered how she had used to dress in high school: there was much skin on display, short and tight tops and skirts or shorts, high heels. And the very dress—which the bluenette picked on purpose from among a tone of other things, she was certain—was one of the most revealing ones. Should she…? She was self-conscious, unsure, and confused.

However, a party was a party. Lucy decided that yes, she would wear the dress, both for Levy and for herself. Well, it was not like anyone—except for Sting—would recognize her. If she wore a clingy dress, she would remain incognito. Who would suspect that the baggy-wearing girl from their faculty could actually have better shapes than the rest of them?

She smiled. She would somewhat feel like a Cinderella. And she kind of liked it.

* * *

 

­­­­“Levy, no, I can't go _out_ like this.” Half an hour before the party and five minutes before the taxi came, Lucy exclaimed when she saw herself in the mirror.

“You must.” The bluenette answered, irritated. “Stop it already with being paranoid. It’s getting old, really.”

“I look like a—”

“Like a film star or a model. Come on, you look gorgeous.”

“But I don't want gorgeous.” She complained. Indeed, everything looked too amazing. Even her makeup was perfect. And she _despised_ the feeling she had in her gut, which was directly connected with her looking like _that_. “Look, hon, I know you meant well, but—”

“Are you chickening out because of Sting or because you’ll be going out to people like that?” Suddenly, Levy asked with an expression of a martyr who suddenly understood why she had been put through the whole suffering. “Damn! It’s Sting, isn’t it?”

“W-why him?” Lucy laughed nervously, turning her head away. “No. It’s just that…”

“That he’s the only one who can and will recognize you.”

“No, I just— Look. If someone approaches me, it’s half bad, but if someone starts hitting on me… You told me yourself you consider me a social cripple.”

“Oh, so you’re going to use my words against me now?” The bluenette rolled her eyes. “You _were_. You’re getting better.”

“But—"

“Okay, _fine_. If someone comes, I’ll personally castrate him. Happy now? Great, then take your bag and we’re on our way. The taxi’s waiting.”

Therefore, not at all consoled and with panic in her eyes, Lucy took her belongings and went out with her best friend. The taxi was, indeed, already there. Yet, upon seeing two dolled up girls, the guy said nothing about them being late and chatter the whole way to the club about silly things. His obvious intentions of flirting were getting on Lucy’s nerves, but she kept it to herself and smiled on. Levy was less forgiving for some sexist comments and was discussing equality matters with him till the end of the journey. Once the women got out of the vehicle, they sighed in unison, relieved. They exchanged smiles and went inside, admiring the décor.

“Hello, ladies.” They were greeted by a guard at the entrance. “Do you have the invitations or you need to buy them?”

“We do have them.” Answered Levy. “Here you are.”

“Very well. So, see you inside.” His sight transferred from the short girl on the taller. He eyed Lucy up and down and smirked. “I hope we could dance together at least once.”

“Maybe, if we find each other in the crowd.” Heartfilia replied and the women stepped into the club. “Gosh, already…”

“It’s just the beginning.” Levy giggled under a stare she received from a handsome man. “Relax, you’re like incognito here. No one knows that under the garbage bag there’s such a fine piece of ass.”

“And now you sound like Sting.” Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Really? He told you that? Wow, he’s dope. Now I must meet him, I have a feeling we’re gonna like each other.”

“Oh! You will.” The blonde agreed and the women approached the bar. When Levy showed no sign of ordering the drinks, Lucy turned to the closest barman. “Hi. Two beers, please.”

“Right away.” The barman said and immediately disappeared. The women chatted while he was pouring the alcohol and only stopped when he placed the order in front of them. “Six euro.”

“I’ll pay.” Suddenly, a guy next to them butted in, giving the money to the barman. Then, he turned and smiled invitingly at them. “If you’d allow.”

“Why, thank you.” The girls smiled.

“So, why are two lovely ladies like you doing here alone?” He asked, sipping his amber alcohol.

“We came to dance, why would we take anyone with us?”

“So, there _is_ someone?”

“W-well…” Levy stuttered. She was clearly not drunk enough to actually take it lightly.

“I hoped you’d be interested in keeping me company then…”

“Thanks, but I’m involved.” Lucy said in an icy tone.

The man moved uncomfortably. “Oh… oh. I get it.”

Right then, Levy squealed and caught Lucy’s hand. “Oh, I can see a friend, excuse us!”

“Um, yeah…” The guy mumbled after them, not too happy.

They rushed towards the crowd and disappeared from his vision. Away from the eyeshot, Lucy huffed and chuckled, patting Levy’s shoulder. “Good one, Lev. He was clearly trying to have a threesome with us, ugh. I mean, what’s wrong with him? Can’t women have a beer in peace?”

“Yeah. He was an ass.” Levy spat.

“Let’s dance already! We can finish it on the dancefloor.”

“Sure!”

So, the friends brought the beers with themselves and entered the dance floor; there were many people, moving to the rhythm mostly in small groups, the majority not paired up yet. Wishing to escape, Lucy looked around and spotted a cozy zone that the crowd had not reached yet, so she made a small pirouette and landed there, motioning at her friend to do the same. Levy nodded and followed suit.

They were dancing alone, from time to time refusing or accepting some men’s invitations to move along. Still, the blonde did not allow anyone to touch her, not even take her hand… Thankfully, there were not many clingy, touchy bastards yet—however, she knew it was a matter of the alcohol drunk. And, gradually, it will be getting worse.

“Levy!” Finally, Lucy exclaimed and waved at the bluenette. “Let’s go to the restroom, can we?”

“Yeah, sure. I was about to say the same thing.” Levy replied and hurried after the artist. When she caught up, she looped her arm with Lucy’s and teased: “You _do_ remember that you’re supposed to show me that Sting of yours, right?”

Lucy rolled her eyes and was about to reply with something snarky; however, when she raised her eyes, her voice caught in her throat. Levy’s timing was impeccable. It was the one and only Sting Eucliffe coming her way. He had not noticed her yet, but the blonde had spotted him the moment she raised her eyes. Moreover, she stopped and simply gawked at the man. He was wearing a partly unbuttoned, dark blue shirt and black trousers. His face was smooth, save for the smallest of smirks, and she could swear he did not shave that day, leaving the subtle yet appealing stubble on his jaw. It made him appear extremely sexy, if she were honest. He carried a glass of beer in his hand, minding not to bump into others and spill it. Her face flamed and a shiver rushed along her skin. Her mouth dried and her stomach clenched. That was the effect he had on her. Lucy was so fascinated that she only stared, ignoring her friend who kept talking to her.

He was progressively coming closer, and she got prepared to greet him like a normal human being, not a fish she was trying to resemble at that moment.

But when Lucy finally managed to find her voice and opened her mouth to say hi, he simply passed by her, not seeing a thing. The woman blushed even more, feeling absolutely stupid. He couldn’t have _not_ seen her, could he? Maybe he just did not want to be seen with her… Uh. How could she think he would approach her? Idiot! Idiot!

“Lu?” Levy’s unexpectedly loud voice ringing in her left ear brought her back to the earth. She budged and looked down, blinking and thinking of how to explain her temporal crash of the system. But Levy was already gapping after the retreating figure of Eucliffe. “Hell, who was _that_?”

“I, I… It was Sting…” Lucy mumbled.

“What? Can't hear you, it’s a club for goodness sake! Unless you shout, I can't hear a thing.”

“It was him! Sting!” The blonde shouted into the bluenette’s ear, stunning her.

“You mean— He was… Holy shit.” She squinted her eyes and goggled at the man’s back as if to see him better. “Shit. What a cookie! Dude, and you’re saying you’re regularly seeing him naked?”

“Well, technically, so does he…”

“I could’ve gone drawing with you and study with guys like that.” Levy sighed dramatically. “Okay, but we were on our way to the restroom. We’ll have to find him later.” She grabbed the blonde’s hand and pulled the still dumbfounded woman after herself. “See, even he hasn't recognized you. I knew it! Hail to my stylist skills.”

“Yeah…” Lucy seemed unconvinced whether she should feel at unease or be happy about it. After all, she had come there solely for him. Almost. “He looked thoughtful, though.”

“A hot guy that knows what his head’s for, I like that.” McGarden winked. “I’d love to see you two together.”

"What together? We're not— We’re not like that."

“Relax. I know better than anyone. But I bet you will be. I mean, Lu. Look at you.” She inspected her friend and smirked. “You’re panicking just because you saw him. You do like him, an awful lot.”

Lucy bit her lip. Yes, she did. But she was not ready to admit it freely yet. And if it showed, she was in trouble. "I’m not sure— No. I'm more than interested in him, but I think not fully romantically yet.”

“Okay, fine. Keep lying to yourself.”

The women parted to enter the cabins and met again at the mirror. Levy clicked her tongue and started fixing Lucy’s hair, gushing about her looking amazing and how Sting would love it. The blonde rolled her eyes, but knew she had to endure it. Her friend was rather pedantic when it came to things like that… Not to mention stubborn.

“Say, you’ll dance together, right?” Suddenly, the bluenette asked.

“Um, I don't think he’d like that.” Lucy grimaced and shooed Levy’s hands away, moving towards the exit. They started ascending the stairs. “Why would he dance with me while he has at least several other girls drooling over him?”

“He doesn’t want other girls drooling over him. He has made it very clear he wants _you_.” Said the short girl and crossed her arms. “I’m always right when it comes to things like this. You know that.”

“Lev, better stop that and come drink with me.” Heartfilia shook her head and ordered another beer. “Cheers! For a great night!”

"Absolutely!"

They gulped down some of the liquid and grinned at each other. Lucy scanned the room; most of the people were already tipsy, apparently. One look at her friend ensured her that McGarden was also a little sloshed already. And, judging by her own thoughts, which involved Sting and his appearance, so was she. So, she giggled and came closer to Levy.

“But you know,” She started with glowing eyes and a smirk. “I must admit I was impressed by his… size.”

“You don't say! Is it visible in your drawing?”

“Of course. It’s a nude portrait, it has to be there, too.”

“I’ve got a feeling that you’re gonna show me that picture today when we get back to your place.” Levy grinned mockingly.

“If you want to see it so badly.” Lucy giggled again and bit her lip to contain her grin. “But he’s really something, that I can promise.”

“Well, he has you all crazy and mush. He must be.”

The women finished their beers and joined the dance floor again, swiftly moving to the rhythm. Lucy was glancing around, trying to spot the one who interested her most, but he had disappeared. Still, she continued to dance, at the same time escaping from the groping hands and snaky arms of men.

At some point, a wild-looking but handsome man approached Levy and asked her to dance. The short woman turned to Lucy with question in her eyes. She smiled and nodded, showing she would be fine on her own. Levy grinned in gratitude and went away with the guy. The blonde, left in the middle of the crowd, decided to find a table, or a free space, where she could wait for Levy to join her again. But when she started looking around, she finally spotted Sting. He was sitting with his three male friends and two girls, Angel and Sherry. There were many empty bottles and glasses around. He was smirking at something that Ryos was saying, and the sight of him made her knees weak. Lucy gulped and turned around quickly, not wanting to be caught staring.

She approached the bar and sat on a miraculously free high chair, then asked for a mojito. Musing about her own pitiful reactions to the man over the drink caused a conflict to arise inside of her. On one hand, she was exited and felt positively elated about it. So she was still capable of falling for someone, after all. And of having strong feelings towards a man. Yet, on the other hand, she was angry at herself for succumbing to his charms. What if he was only playing with her, or wore wanted to get her into bed and then would lose interest? In all of that pondering she failed to notice someone watching her. A man who was sitting beside checked her out, then scooted closer.

“Can I?” He asked with a foreign accent, pulling the woman out of her thoughts.

“I-I guess.” Lucy smiled slightly, unsurely. “I don't mind if you just want to talk.”

He ignored the last remark and smiled seductively. “What is a pretty girl like you doing here, sitting and drinking alone?”

“I'm not alone, my friend’s over there.” She motioned to where was Levy with her dance partner.

“Right. The girls always come in a bundle.” He nodded and smiled. “I'm Freed, from the painting fac. An Erasmus student, so I’m only a guest there, though. And you? I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you before, have I?”

“Lucy from the drawing. Yes, you probably have, but I’m rather not striking every day…”

“So, you’re like in that fairy tale, a Cinderella?”

“Um, you could say that.” Lucy sighed and tried not to cringe at his tongue sliding along his lips. She hated the way he was staring at her. “I’m definitely not myself tonight.”

“Then we could be not ourselves together.” Freed winked at her.

She scrutinized him carefully and shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Ouch. Lemme try to change your mind. Maybe you’ll like it. Say… would it be too much?” The man laid his hand on her knee. She stiffened, panic hitting her like a stray ball during a baseball match. She told herself to keep breathing.

“Yes.” Lucy threw him a hard look, although cold fear crept under her skin. “Please, take your hand away.”

“But you _will_ enjoy this.” He argued, creeping higher and scratching her skin. Lucy froze.

“T-take it away!” She caught his wrist and wanted to push his hand away in desperation, shaking, yet, he was strong and determined.

“Be patient.” Freed grinned and continued sliding higher on her thigh.

 

Lucy almost chocked on her own tears, but swallowed them. She would not give him satisfaction. So, she dug her nails into his skin and Freed hissed, stopping his fingers from sliding under her dress. He frowned and grabbed her hand with another one of his, fully intending to continue his little game. Now mad, Lucy took a swing with her second arm, ready to hit him, but, right then, someone caught the Erasmus’s hand and pushed it away, growling menacingly: “The lady said let _the fuck_ go.”

She let her arm fall and turned her head, only to spot Sting Eucliffe, murdering Freed with his glare. She blushed and hung her head. So he had recognized her and had known where she was all along… Lucy could not help but tremble, the feeling of safety spreading throughout her.

“And you are…?” Freed asked, raising a brow.

“Her friend. Now, disappear before I break your arm.” Sting warned him, furious. To prove he did mean it, he gripped his wrist tighter.

Apparently, Freed thought it was a fair thing for what he had wanted to say back, so he stayed silent. He only yanked his arm away. Not even sparing a glance at the woman, he stood up and walked away rapidly.

Not that she would know all that. Lucy was still sitting with her head hung low, her eyes closed and cheeks blushed. She should have known better than to trust anyone… Why had she stayed at place? She should have walked away the moment he had talked to her. Why was she such a fool that evening? First looking for the man who had been ignoring her till then, just to come in as a hero. Which led her to the thought… Why had Sting come so suddenly? Had he been watching her? He had had to, to know she was in trouble. What was that about?

“Lucy, are you okay?” Suddenly, his voice rang in her right ear loud and clear. His breath tickled her and she trembled.

“Yeah, I… Thank you so much.” She answered shakily, pulling her head up. Her big brown eyes stared ahead, not daring to gaze at his face. “It was— I… oh, gosh.”

“Shush. It’s okay now.” Sting gently embraced her arms and cradled her slightly. She allowed him to do that since she was still shocked. And she needed his strong but calming touch. She needed him to be there, with her. To calm her and make her feel safe. “I'm glad I was around. That asshole…”

“Actually, if not, I would’ve hit him. I already took a swing, but you interrupted.” Lucy said meekly, making him smirk, amused.

“Yeah, I’d love to see that.”

“Anyway…” She cleared her throat and finally looked at him. She shifted in his arms, but kept close to him. Lucy struggled to keep breathing normally, seeing his Adonis-like features. He obviously was a little drunk. And that was additionally making him more attractive, is possible. “Hi.”

“Hello. I saw you before, but didn't have an occasion to greet you.”

If she was true to herself, she would admit his lopsided grin made her gut clench and her thighs press against each other more.

“You did, but you passed by me.” She pointed out in a husky tone, smiling a little.

“I did? Ah, yeah. And I didn't say hi, true, because you had such a funny expression that I couldn't interrupt. As though you were awestruck by something.” He explained and let go of her to sit beside. His eyes were drilling into hers, making her a bit startled and all the more excited.

“A-ah, I see.” Lucy laughed nervously and averted her sight, blushing. _Yeah, I was awestruck by some_ one _—it was you._ “Anyway…”

“Mm. You look amazing, Lucy.” Suddenly, Eucliffe stated lowly. She turned her eyes on him again, slightly surprised. He was gazing at her with hazy eyes, attentive. “I mean… Absolutely stunning. I knew that you could kill it with a good dress, but… Fuck.”

“I… Thank you.” The woman replied and smiled a real smile. And she should be honest with him, too. So, she bit her lip and eyed him before saying: “You look gorgeous, Sting.”

He snorted, but was visibly pleased. “A compliment for a compliment?”

“No, you really do…” She told him sincerely. Then, in a moment of doubt, she squirmed and frowned. “M-maybe I shouldn't have said that.”

“No, it’s okay to speak your mind. And thanks. I did dress to impress a little lady in here, you know. And I see I was successful.” Sting grinned and admitted boldly. Blood rushed in her veins. “Say, do you wanna dance?”

“M-me?”

“Yeah, I really want to dance with you.”

Lucy blinked. With her? She was fighting within herself, wondering if that would be the right thing to do… Having in mind all of the things happening lately. But she craved it. What could go wrong? It was Sting, not some creep like that Freed guy. Therefore, she smiled brightly. “Sure.”

Sting grinned and stood up, reaching out to her. She caught his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. The world stopped when he wrapped his fingers around her palm, and she took a sharp breath in. There was only him. No one else. Until he stopped and turned to her with a pert smile. Immediately, he caught her waist and waited for her to catch her balance, then spun the woman to the fast tempo of the song. They were dancing and spinning, joined only by hands. Lucy was amazed at how good he was at that! Then, he pulled her to himself and caught her waist with one hand, mimicking the position of ballroom dancing. She threw him an unsure look, making him chuckle.

“Relax, Lucy. It’s dancing, I must hold you.”

“Right.”

She could not tell him that it was _him_ who was stressing her out. That his proximity was making her become mush and that she was positively giddy in his arms. Moreover, she found herself in a very intimidating position with Sting—he was holding her close, gazing into her eyes with those hypnotizing blue orbs of his. Lucy could not avert her eyes. Well, only to glance at his lips a few times, which she barely noted. But he did. And every single time his eyes darkened with want. She was needlessly scared of that he would see her interest. It was pointless, she knew. Because she was an open book to him. But she was also fretting over a possible rejection… But he would not reject her. Would he? No. Impossible. He was in too deep, she though. She wanted to take a chance, but she was terrified of the consequences. The very last time, things had ended up horrible. Making her what she was now, and considering it was years after it had happened and after sessions with a psychiatrist, it was saying something…

“Lucy…” She budged and blinked at him. She had drifted off, but there he was, his face so close to hers. Sting was wearing an expression of tenderness. “Can I embrace you?”

“But you already _are_ embracing me…” She answered shyly.

“Then allow me to do this.” Having said that, Sting brought her even closer and put his forehead against hers. She blushed hard, but did not move away. If anything, she moved even closer, instinctually pressing her body flush against him more. She could feel just how glad he was, too. He smiled at her. “So lovely… How come you seem so perfect?”

“What? I’m not— Sting?” She whispered, knowing he would not hear her, but that he would understand what she was trying to say.

“Yes, you are. There are endless things I’d love to do to you. But, right now, there’s only one I need to…” The man cut himself off, caressed her waist and licked his lips. “Let me kiss you.”

“B-but!” She stuttered. What? She was aware of that he was slightly drunk, but… Was that the alcohol talking? Were they not kissing only for him to have it easier with the drawing? Her denial made her head spin. She had to know for sure. “Why?”

“I don't know, but I want it. I want to do it so badly. I really need to taste you. Again.” He admitted, then purred. “Come on, it’s not like we haven't kissed before.”

“I thought it was mostly for the purpose of the project. Well, not counting those few times…”

“Excuses…” He smirked. “I adore kissing you.”

“The, the people?”

“They can all go to hell. For all I care.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea…”

“Just a one, sweet, tender kiss.”

Lucy opened her mouth, but froze. With surprise, she told him: “I, I ran out of arguments…”

“Finally.” Sting spat and quickly closed the distance between their lips.

Lucy widened her eyes at the contact. That time, though, his lips were soft and tender, as if he wanted to show her he could be gentle or caring. After several moves on his part, she finally gave up and responded, closing her eyes. The woman felt him smiling under her now moving lips.

Suddenly, the whole world stopped. There was only her and Sting. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest, thundering from emotions that overtook her. Sting was kissing her more and more greedily, boldly claiming her. But she did not mind. No, Lucy was returning the caress with that same level of passion, amazed about the whole thing. His smell made her head spin and his taste… Oh God, his taste, it was incredible. She moaned and sucked on his lip, wanting more of him. The man’s chest rumbled when he growled and nibbled on her mouth while her arms traveled around his neck and into his air. The following whimpers of one were swallowed by another. If she had found it in herself to care, she would have been glad there was loud music and no one would hear the sounds she was emitting. When his tongue slid along hers, she gripped his hair even more and cried into his mouth, making him chuckle.

That kiss was not like any of those they had shared before. It was something completely new and she was not sure how to feel about it anymore. Well, if her mind had not been blown, she would have been thinking like that. But, slowly, her reason started kicking in. What was she doing? PUBLICLY? Moreover, why was Sting smooching her with such need, such affection? The desire she could understand, but the rest… Oh, how lost she was.

At last, the woman tried to break the kiss. Nonetheless, Sting grunted in protest and bit her lip, trying to make her stay in place. Moreover, his hand wandered to her bum, placing itself in the middle of her ass suggestively. Not that she hated it completely, but it did make her uncomfortable. But he went one step further; he squeezed her buttock low and deep and, as arousing as it was, that made Lucy stop. She tore herself away from his lips, panting. She felt ashamed and startled, she had done too much. He had done too much, too.

“I, I—” She whispered, opening her eyes and gently removing his hand from her ass. She did not dare to meet his eye. She could not.

“Whose house?”

That question surprised her. “Excuse me?”

“Where are we going, I asked about the place. Yours or mine, I’m like whatever.” Eucliffe rasped, making her dizzy.

“W-wait a second, Sting!” Lucy cried and looked at him with reproach.

“You didn’t say you didn’t want me to kiss you when you were reasoning. You kissed me back on your own.” He stated, staring at her intensively. She tried not to squirm under that gaze. “And let me touch you. For the first time, I didn't have to urge you to. It was intense, even you have to admit it. And you loved it. You went at it as good as you could.”

“Yes, but—”

“So we can go somewhere and finally take it further.” The man finished, visibly content with her lack of denial.

“No, wait a second… I won't jump into your bed like that, out of the blue, especially not when I’m still figuring things out.” Lucy explained, staring at his neck to avoid his eyes. “It’s not easy for me, especially when I thought that I would never ever have to worry about it again.”

He thought it over for a moment, then rolled his eyes. “It’s fine.” Sting sighed, nodding, and cupped her cheeks. She knew he could feel the heat radiating off her. “I understand. And I came up with a decision, I’ll wait for you.”

“Sting—”

“Let me finish. I will wait as long as I have to, because I know you’re fucking worth it. But when you make up your mind, you will be the one making a move. I won't do that again.”

She held her tears in, moved. He was incredibly understanding, and she would hate to disappoint him, but… But. There were no promises. She could not promise a thing. Still, there was something in his words which made her inhale deeply. And Lucy focused on it. “You talk about it as if I just rejected you. However, you never said you liked me or anything. How am I supposed to know you’re not fooling around? Or that it’s not the alcohol speaking now?”

“You’re right. I haven't, have I?” He smiled. “I'm not sure about it myself. But every time I see you, I can't focus, my heart is beating like crazy, and I can't gather my thoughts. My hands are shaking and I long to touch you. Every kiss… It’s like fireworks. Hell, even when I'm alone, I can’t stop thinking about you. You are smart, fun, pretty. You excite me. You mesmerize me. You make me feel whole. It must mean something, right?”

Her eyes widened. “I had no idea you felt like this...”

“And even though at first I considered it a physical attraction, I don't think that's it. Heck, I know it’s not.”

Lucy gapped at him. In fact, his confession had made her even more startled and lost. Shit, he had revealed to her his emotions, his heart, and she had no answer. Not yet, that was.

“Since the terms changed drastically and the price is so high now, please, give me some more time. I can't answer you now.” Finally, Heartfilia begged. “I know it’s not fair, but I cannot risk you being hurt.”

Sting considered it, then nodded once. “I expected this. On one condition, though.”

“What is it?”

“Just tell me if I stand a chance.” The man said seriously, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. “I need to know. That’ll keep me going. Or moving on. Please.”

Stunned, Lucy opened her mouth in surprise. She had not expected such a question. Yes, she did have an answer to _that_ one. And he obviously deserved to now—especially if he really thought about her the way he had presented it. So, she decided to reply truthfully and create some kind of hope within him.

She caught his hands in hers and used them as a hoist. The woman climbed on her toes and pecked his lips, then removed his hands from her face. Instead, she got a hold of his jaw and turned his head to the right.

Her voice did not tremble when she whispered into his ear a loud 'yes'.

"Great." Sting smiled widely and danced on with her, not trying to grope her anymore. She truly appreciated it. When another song ended, the guy caught her hands and kissed them both tenderly, thanking her for the dance. Lucy blushed, but nodded bravely and said goodbye. Sting winked at her for the last time and, hesitantly, let go of her. She did not wait any longer and she escaped, trying to get to the toilets through the crowd. Maybe Levy would be there?

Oh God. Levy. She had left her friend! And what if the short woman had seen them kissing?!

Nevertheless, Lucy realized she did not really mind. So what is Levy had seen them kissing? Actually, for that one second when she had been with Sting, she felt like she had the world. Like she had been complete, like she was worth it. He had made her feel incredible, beautiful, happy. Did she love him? Did _he_ love her?

When the blonde entered the restroom, she spotted a long line up to the cabins. Lucy rolled her eyes; no surprise there. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and when she turned around, she spotted Levy.

"Oh, hi! I thought we may find each other here. Uh… How was the dance with that handsome guy?" She asked with a slightly forced smile, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"Great, but not as awesome as yours." Levy smirked mischievously and nudged her friend. She scowled. "Tell me, Lu, have I seen it right? You kissed?!"

"Shh, yeah…"

"I knew it!" The bluenette clapped her hands. "Amazing! It went way faster than I thought. Now, tell me all about it."

"Sweetie, it was not the first time we kissed…"

"What? Oh, you mean the project bullshit?"

“Not exactly.” Sighing, Heartfilia described the whole situation, clearing up a few facts. She looked both confused and amazed after Lucy finished.

"So, you're telling me that you've been kissing the God of sex for a while now?"

"Well..."

"And that he basically confessed to you?"

"As you've heard."

"And that he asked you to sleep with him and respected that you didn't want to?"

"Yes, Levy."

The short girl squealed, covering her mouth and then smiled widely. "He cares for you! Listen, Lu, any other man would have tried to force you—if not plain drag you—and wouldn’t have taken a no for an answer. He respects it that you're not ready. You want more time and he gives you that. There is no other explanation."

Lucy was slightly doubtful about the amount of Sting’s supposed affection for her, but said nothing. True, he had been very considerate and prepared for her denial. And he _had_ explained how he felt towards her… But it could not be that strong yet, could it?

"Hey, earth to Lucy, do you wanna head back?" Asked Levy, at the same time pulling the blonde out of her musing. "I think I've had enough for today."

"Yeah. Me, too."

"And don’t put your cell away. I bet that your lover boy will be amusing us the whole rest of the night."

"Don't call him that!" Lucy pouted.

But Levy just smirked.

* * *

 

Soon, it turned out she had been right; when the women were halfway home in a taxi, Lucy’s phone beeped. Already restless and more than elated about the previous events, she stirred and glanced at her friend; she did not seem to notice anything. She sighed and frowned. There were not many people who could text her. It had to be Sting. However, reading the text in a taxi, with Levy reacting in an extremely enthusiastic way was out of the question. Thus, the woman decided to wait until they reached the flat before checking the message.

Which had her inhaling loud. And which caught Levy’s immediate attention.

_I can't stop thinking about you. Still feel your taste._

She took another deep breath and said incredulously: "Damn! He sexted me!"

"Woah, girl! That’s smooth. Answer him!"

"What? Are you nuts? I’m gonna pretend it never happened."

Levy slapped her shoulder. "Honestly, woman. You’re hopeless."

“But—”

“You’re keeping him hanging again.” Levy accused her.

She paused. Was she? She had promised herself she would not do it all over again… Not to Sting, anyway. So, with a new determination, Lucy typed: _It's not like I could sleep either. Damn, Sting, for working me all up._

"Not sure if that was the best option, but I mean it." The blonde blushed and glanced at her shaking hands. "Levy, yell when he answers, I must excuse myself for a sec."

"Sure!" The bluenette smiled cheekily. Immediately after Lucy closed the door, the cell vibrated; McGarden stared at it for several seconds, then quickly grabbed the device and read Sting’s reply.

_Did I? Then I'm not the only one._

Then, right after the first text, there came another.

_I love the curve of your back and the way your ass moves when you dance. And I think you have the best buns I've ever touched. Lucy, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off you._

Levy blushed at that; he was very straightforward and she doubted that her friend would hit the same tone... Yes. Yes, she had to do it. She should intervene. So, she wrote.

_Oh, Sting. You made me so wet that I can't stand it._

"Sup?"

Levy jumped. She tried not to look overly suspicious, but failed. Lucy just cocked a brow at her, then urged her to say anything with a jerk of her head.

"Oh, I’m just responding to your man..."

" _What_?! Show me that!"

Heartfilia took her cellphone back and read the last two texts. And her eyes widened in shock.

"What the fuck are you doing, Levy?!" Lucy exclaimed in uproar. "Don't tell me you sent it to him?!"

"Oops!" She smirked. "But hey, there's the next message. Better check it out."

Indeed, the device vibrated in Lucy's hand. She sent Levy one last glare and read the text out loud, stuttering at the end.

_One word and I'm at your door. In your bed. Damn it. In you._

"Oh shit. Oh shit, shit, oh shit!" Lucy panicked, feeling her blood rush in her veins. She hated how much it affected her and how amazing it felt to be .

_I think you need to take care of your impressive shaft yourself — and I'll take care of myself._

_Such a waste of effort. Although the vision of you masturbating to my name's hot._

"Please, ask him if he's doing that to yours!"

"But..."

"Come on, tease him a little."

_Aren't you jerking off to mine?_

_Was._

She smirked. _Ah, Sting. You devil..._

"So?"

"He was." Lucy flushed when she told her friend that.

"Hopefully, he won't be that fast in bed." Levy spat.

"I doubt it. He's probably y been doing himself earlier."

"Yeah. Oh, about that... Show me the drawing."

“Um, should I? I mean, I’m not exactly sure whether showing a nude picture of a partner without his permission is moral or legal.”

“You’ve already promised.” Levy stick out her tongue. “Besides, he’ll never find out, will he?”

Lucy sighed and hesitantly pointed at a folder. Her friend rushed there and quickly took out the drawing, inspecting in with an expression of an excited five year old girl. The blonde giggled and read another message from Sting.

_You're the devil here, telling me to wait just to sext me later... Tsk, tsk. Besides, thank you._

_For what?_

_It was the first time you commented my body. And you called it impressive. For that._

“And?” Lucy asked, typing a response.

“He seems perfect.” Levy uttered. “And is so, so very hot. Oh, you are so lucky!”

“Come on, it’s just the looks.”

“Just? Oh I don’t think so, honey. It’s much more than _just_ the looks.” She sighed. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Well. Right.” Lucy admitted, smiling.

_Well, it is. Haven't you noticed? Or heard from the girls you've had?_

_I couldn't care less about others' opinion. But yours is different._

_I am falling in love with you._

Lucy choked on her own saliva in shock, then reread the text various times. Finally, she emitted a moan and a swearing word. "Levy, damn! Can you believe it?! He's said he is falling in love with me..."

Levy put down the drawing and strolled back to her, suddenly more interested in what was going on with Lucy.

"Oh shit. That’s blunt. Well… You sure you don't want to answer him?"

"No, I, I need to think. I just… wanna go to sleep."

Levy kept her critical thoughts to herself, only rolled her eyes and said. "Fine. Gimme that."

_Hey, it's Lucy's friend. I'm staying over and I wanted to ask you if you could stop texting her. It's cute, but I want to sleep and can't do that with her squealing and jumping all over the room._

_Oh, fine, sorry. She was, though? Good to know. Thanks!_

"Done. You're welcome." Levy smirked and passed the cellphone to her friend, who looked at the messages. She groaned, immediately regretting letting her best friend touch her phone.

"Seriously?"

* * *

 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The next day at the university Lucy was walking cautiously, trying to sense the danger of meeting Sting beforehand. Fortunately, he was nowhere to be seen yet. She quickly went into the classroom and sat at her desk, taking out her things. She had luck on her side, because the lecturer came first; right after him came Sting. Her eyes widened; Lucy hurriedly looked away, but almost immediately felt his sight on her back, and she knew it was to remain.

During the whole lecture, she had been observed. She knew that. She _felt_ that. His eyes were drilling holes in her form, making her flushed and embarrassed. Lucy wanted to talk to him, but was afraid of what would happen after the class. Ever since she had learned about his feelings, she was rather startled and strangely excited. Plus that sexting... Oh, how could she face him, just like that?

Only once did she catch a glimpse of the man. He was sitting comfortably, bracing his head on his elbow and watching her in thought. The moment she locked her eyes with his, his face lightened up and his orbs twinkled. Yet, Lucy got scared and turned away, gazing through the window and hiding her red cheeks. What a coward she was...

All too soon, the lecture ended. Heartfilia was aware of that she had no chance of escaping, so she packed up like she usually did, waiting for him to undoubtedly approach her. In fact, there were not even two seconds before Sting stopped beside her desk.

"Hi." He said plainly.

She could do it. She really could. So, she called a smile on her face and replied:

"Hey. Sup?"

"I'm good, thanks. Maybe a little... Um, sorry for the last night and being a pushy bastard, but..." Sting scratched his cheek, visibly uncomfortable.

"Come on, it wasn't—" Lucy sighed and, having taken a good look around, whispered. "Look, I enjoyed it and I ain't feeling guilty."

"Really?" He was surprised and she noted a hint of hope in his tone.

“Yeah. Plus none of the things I said was untrue."

"Wait! Does it mean—" Eucliffe started, yet, he was suddenly cut off by Angel, who hung herself on his arm and sang his name, trying to get his attention. He frowned and glanced at her, not finishing his question. Lucy, on the other hand, stood up and, mumbling an apology, hurried away, leaving the grimacing Sting and smirking Angel behid.

Truthfully, she knew what he had wanted to ask her and she wondered if she was ready to answer. Still, she would never do that in front of the whitehead, no matter how much of a bitch that chick was. However, the clingy attitude did not necessarily seemed good to Lucy; it annoyed to no end that Angel just had the audacity to interrupt people like that. But. But Sting’s attitude was another thing. He was allowing it, was he not? How could he do that? Did he not know?! Who could tolerate the fact that another girl is clinging to her man like that?

Suddenly, the woman stopped. Since when had he become her man…?

"Lucy!" At that moment, the man whom she had left before caught up with her.

"What are you doing here?" She frowned, trying to hide the bite in her voice. "And where's Angel?"

"I don't know, left her there." Sting spat and wanted to add something, but she beat him to it.

"Maybe you should get back to her, she would get worried that you're spending too much time with me."

The man stopped, his brows raised. "What?"

But she already went ahead, not looking back. Lucy could not help it anymore; the feeling of being mad at him overwhelmed her. It was pathetic, she knew. She felt like a jealous teenager. It was not even logical, they were not together, and—

"Wait! Oh shit. You're jealous." Sting caught up with her again and exclaimed, amazed. "Aren't you?"

"Why would I be jealous?" She huffed, yet, he caught her shoulder and turned to himself, trying to make eye contact with her. Lucy was stubbornly averting her sight.

"You _so_ are." Sting stated with amusement in his voice, clearly diverted and elated.

"I said I'm…!" Finally, the woman snapped and gazed into his eyes—just to stop speaking, blush, and look back to the side, admitting silently. "I'm jealous."

A moment of silence fell between the blondes, then Sting cleared his throat.

"Lucy, why are you jealous?"

"I-I just am! And it's not like I'm gonna tell you." She crossed her arms, acting like five. It maddened her even more, especially that it made him chuckle.

"Fine, fine. Just, you know, you don't have to be." Sting grinned and stepped closer to her. Then, he stated seriously and sensually. "To me, there's only you."

Having said that, he landed a slow peck on her forehead and went away, still grinning like an idiot. Lucy was left standing there, completely frozen.

He had just said he, well, almost loved her in the middle of the university.

Oh God.


	13. Second pose, second thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was terrible to correct. I didn't have an idea for it, so it ended up completely changed in some parts. Also, at the beginning, the first part is in Sting's POV, an additional sequence I wrote before I actually started working on the whole chapter. Sooo, enjoy ~ Thank you all for kudos and reviews!

Sting was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

Musing over what had happened at the party.

Replaying the events in his memory, and doing this goddamn thinking again.

He remembered how he had seen her among the crowd and how she had taken his breath away. Subconsciously, he had started going her way, wishing to exchange at least a few words with her. How she froze at some point of his approach, and he decided to give her time to adjust. He could only imagine how _strange_ it all was to her, how _un_ used to parties she was. No matter, he would catch her later on.

And then he had caught sight of her when she was sitting at the bar, apparently left alone. His companions were already sloshed, and he was a little tipsy. Yet, he considered it a favorable factor since he intended to confront his pretty little partner that night.

However, he had also noticed a foreigner eyeing her hungrily from the side, then moving closer to the beautiful woman. His blood boiled and Sting decided to interfere before the man could accomplish anything.

“Where are you going?” Angel called to him when he stood up. Her hand flew to his shoulder and she smiled slowly. “Stay!”

“There’s something I gotta do.” He replied sternly, still bitter over her latest actions.

“But I thought you came with us?”

One pleading look at Rogue had his friend taking care of the whitehead. Sting mouthed a _thank you_ to him and turned in the direction where he knew Lucy was sitting.

What he saw was nothing he liked. Not at all.

Angrily, he made his way to the bar, watching the interaction of the people with growing rage. Lucy was struggling against a hold the guy had over her leg, and he seemed amused, if anything. So, when the blonde reached them, he caught the foreigner’s hand before he slid his freaking fingers under her dress end.

“The lady said let _the fuck_ go.” He hissed with fury.

If the foreigner felt any kind of intimidation, he did not show it. No, he turned to Eucliffe with a blank face and stared at him before inquiring who he was with a raised brow.

 _One more flippant expression or a_ _move and he’ll get what’s coming at him._

So, to demonstrate he was not joking around, he gripped the man’s arm more forcefully. Also, he could imagine his expression was terrifying, for the man let go and, after sending another glare at him, left.

Leaving him with a distressed Lucy.

Sting looked her over, but she seemed fine physically. He tried not to focus too much on her attire and her amazing form, not at that moment, but how could he not? Still, he held himself back and came closer. He tried not to grin when the woman instinctually leaned against him. Sting bowed down and, stopping next to her ear, he asked:

“Lucy, are you okay?”

The tone of her voice was screaming NO, but he let her lie. He would not leave her alone, he would stay at her side.

Soon, Lucy calmed down enough to gaze at him and he found himself mesmerized. She was so very beautiful, even more than usually since she obviously had taken time to get prepared for the party. He especially loved the dress she was wearing, and his fingers itched to slide along her sides. But he refrained, instead paying her a compliment.

Which seemed to be the right thing to do, because not even ten minutes later he found himself dancing with her, wrapped in his arms, so close he was going crazy. The smell of her, the delicate feel of her skin, her eyes staring at him with something he could not decipher.

But he also knew he was showing much more than intended to her, too. His gaze tender and loving, his body pressed against her, his heartbeat anything but calm. She was intoxicating. She was addictive. She was temptation personified. In a moment of weakness, he glanced down at her puckered lips. Sting gulped. He had to kiss her. He had to taste her, it was so much stronger than him. So, he did.

If anyone would have asked to describe the feeling which filled him, he would definitely use some vacant, idiotic, cliché words. But, in reality, he would never, ever dare to _try_ to describe it. It was beyond words, it was more than magic, it was more than anything.

But it was also overwhelming. Dangerous. Savage.

And it made him act the way he did after they broke it off.

Remembering it all now, Sting scowled deeply. Such a fool he was, to even offer sex like that to anyone, _especially_ to Lucy Heartfilia. Idiot!

Yet, she gently told him off, and even they texted after everything. He was unable to believe his luck, but he would not be moronic enough to push it.

Or so he thought, because the next freaking day there he was, stopping her in the middle of the corridor to practically tell her she was the only one for him.

Sting groaned and rolled on his side, closing his eyes forcefully.

He would be lucky if she would even talk to him anymore.

Because, from his perspective, it seemed he really could have scared her off for good that time.

* * *

 

Taking the latest events into consideration, Lucy was absolutely panicky before the next posing session. Now that she was aware of Sting’s state of feelings, she worried that she was going to be a burden. Well, with her indecisiveness and lack of reply to his confession, she suspected it would certainly be that way. She did not even know what she had done to make him fall in love with her. She had tried so hard not to let it happen that not only did the man actually do it, but she… She was also falling in love with her partner. How, how on Earth? If she were not feeling so… happy, she would have tried to do something with it already.

She checked the time and sighed. Sting should be at her place within an hour, they had made an appointment for 3PM. A sudden pain in her stomach reminded her that, out of stress, she had not eaten anything yet. So, she decided to at least start making dinner before the man appeared. He would probably join her and maybe, just maybe his presence would force her to eat something.

Nonetheless, not even fifteen minutes had passed before the bell rang; she huffed, but was not at all surprised. Lucy hurried to the door and, shaping up, opened it. There stood Sting with a crooked grin. Ignoring the faintness she felt at the very sight of him, Lucy smiled a little nervously and let him in, a little put off when he simply passed by her.

However, right after crossing the door, he put a bag he was holding (and she never noticed) down on the nearest table and turned to the woman. Lucy watched him from the same spot. So, Sting took a few steps toward her and caught her around waist. Having not noted any form of resistance, he pulled the woman into himself and kissed her. The reaction was immediate: her senses screamed; her heart jumped and then stopped in her chest. The kiss was not gentle. Not in the slightest. It was demanding and aggressive, and Lucy found it perfect. She could not hold a squeak in when the man’s tongue clashed with hers, nor the trembling.

Yes, he caught her off guard slightly, but she thought that it was for the project again—so she hesitantly responded, trying to control her senses, especially the two main ones: the touch and the smell. She could smell his cologne, so masculine and intoxicating. A part of her mind wondered if he knew how it worked on her… Furthermore, the caress was absolutely mind-blowing; Lucy could not get enough. At the same time, she was in conflict; she definitely liked it all too much for her own comfort. He must have seen through the enthusiasm behind her smooch, did he not? After a while, the blondes stepped away from each other, breathing unevenly.

"Mm, good afternoon to you, too." Sting commented and grinned.

"I guess old habits die hard, huh?" She managed to utter. Her head was spinning from both lack of air and excitement.

"Yeah. We're kinda back to 'the purpose of the project' thing for now, though." He sighed and took off his jacket, then pointed at the package he had put down. "Hey, I brought something sweet."

"A-awesome!" Lucy clapped her hands, although she was still a little dizzy. "I've been craving something sweet the whole day."

"Good that I dropped by the sweet house, then."

"Say, are you hungry? I was about to make dinner, but you came earlier and..."

"Always am." Sting winked. "I'm a man, remember? Have you ever seen a guy who's full for once?"

"Right. Then you'll eat with me." Lucy nodded and went back into the kitchen, leaving the man in the hall, undressing. He soon joined her, silently flopping on a chair and watching her with rapt attention. She was a little uncomfortable, being watched by the man so closely, but at the same time she was thrilled she had his sole attention like that. No matter how selfish she was being right then.

"Sting, do you like seafood?" Suddenly, she asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah."

"Great, 'cause I'm preparing shrimp."

Even though Lucy did not turn, she could feel Sting leading his sight after her, observing her every move and how she was fussing in the kitchen. She flushed when she had to bend over the counter to take a bigger pot, conscious of his hungry eyes.

"I bet it's… delicious." The man commented a little huskily.

The blonde was still keeping her back to him, so she felt free to bite her lip. Should she play along?  There was an obvious hidden meaning to his statement. Should she react? Play along? Well, since she already had some feelings for him and he liked her, too, what was the harm? "Well, if you're patient, you'll be able to taste it, so you wouldn't have to just bet on that anymore."

Not at all expecting such a turn of events, Sting gasped. "I like the sound of it… Is this a promise?"

"Maybe."

"But you're not saying no."

The woman turned to look at him, shaking her head. Then, she continued with the cooking to distract herself from Sting Eucliffe, sitting like gobsmacked in her kitchen.

"Lucy," He cleared his throat. "I like talking about it… About us… Especially that each and every conversation makes me hope for success even more."

She did not answer for a while. Then, she asked abruptly, sudden anxiousness feeling her. "How did it even happen, Sting?"

"How did _what_ happen?"

"Those, those emotions… Y-you know…" She stuttered a little.

Suddenly, Sting stood up. He rolled his shoulders back and approached her slowly. Lucy heard his steps and waited impatiently, staring into one point ahead of herself. Eucliffe stopped beside her and braced himself on the counter, crossing his arms. He scrutinized her face before speaking up.

"You're scared."

"Terrified."

"I'd love to comfort you, but I can't do it without—" Out of the blue, Lucy quickly turned and tackled him, burying herself in his chest and embracing him hard, trembling. Sting cut himself off and blinked, shocked. Only did he smile and accept the unexpected hug when she tightened her hold around him. He caressed her back slowly and then passed to her hair, kissing the top of her head. The woman shivered, but did not move back, not even a centimeter. Sting fought with a grin threatening to spread on his face. He should remain serious. "Sweet cheeks, it's alright to feel, to want, to touch… Not everyone wants to hurt you. I swear I don't. How could I hurt the one I care for?"

"It may hurt." She whispered in his chest, tickling him. Sting jerked, making her rise her head a little to peek at him. "I'm scared of rejection, of the bad touch again. I'm scared of your feelings, of mine. Of the intensity of it all. I don't know what to think anymore."

"Give me— Yourself— Damn, _us_ a chance."

Lucy tilted her head more and looked him in the eye. He was so sincere, so hopeful… Thus, she asked him shyly, her fingers making gentle circles on his chest, something which she did subconsciously. "Am I worth it? I know you are, you’re amazing, but… me?"

Sting sighed and delicately took her face into his hands, at the same time gazing into her eyes with tenderness and sincerity. "Lucy, to me, you're worthy of everything in the world. And I'm going to try to give it to you."

Her eyes watered. It was such a sweet thing to say of him. Touched, she sniffed. "I don't want everything. I just want a little bit of happiness."

"Then… Crap, it’s hard, but… Can _I_ be your happiness? At least a part of it?"

Lucy gaped at him. He was so straightforward! Yet, it could not be easy to him, to say that out loud to a person who keeps pushing him away… It moved something inside of her. Lucy unwrapped her arms from around Sting. Thinking he scared her away, Sting tried to stop her, but she did something completely unexpected; Lucy grabbed him around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him unsurely. The man did not wait. He cupped her cheeks again and put as much tenderness as possible into the kiss. Finally, she pulled away and stared at him. He was silent, waiting, and opened her mouth to say something. Yet, right when she was about to let the first word out, her timer beeped, signalizing that the shrimp should be taken out of the water. Again, something had disturbed them and destroyed another intimate moment. The woman blushed and excused herself, unwrapping herself from around Sting and rushing to the pot.

Eucliffe took a moment to collect himself. That was much more than he had expected of the woman, and she was the one to initiate a kiss that time. He smiled happily and went back to his place behind the table. Having asked whether he could help her with something—and being told off—, he waited patiently as she was serving the food, then smiled when she sat down in front of him, stealing a quick glance of him.

They began eating in silence, getting rid of the shrimp armors. At some moment, Sting raised his sight at her and simply stared as Lucy was about to eat one of the shrimp. She noticed his gaze and looked back at him. At the same time, she did not pay attention to her actions and packed the fork into her mouth, a little too far. Not able to resist, she slowed down while taking the fork out from between her lips, still looking him in the eye. Unable to remain unaffected, Sting gulped, hypnotized.

"Heartfilia, I’m warning you. Don't provoke me."

"I just…" She blushed, realizing what it must have looked like. "Sorry, I did not think."

The blondes continued eating in comfortable silence. Lucy was grateful for that; she had time to consider the situation.

She was constantly surprised whenever she found herself positive whether or not she had fallen for the man in front of herself. It was painfully obvious and every time he had asked her about it, she had been able to confirm that without much hesitance. And not only then; every time she was seeing him, duh, texting him even, her thoughts roamed around his persona. She experienced such a mixture of emotions and sentiments that it could only be that. However, Lucy was a damn coward and she was terrified of taking a chance. Yet, on the other hand, was there any other choice left? She had already fallen for him… She freaking kissed him before dinner, all on her own. And the worst thing was that—

“Lucy?”

She budged and gazed up at him; Sting was staring at her with amusement. “Um, yes?”

“You okay?”

“Sure, um, I’ve been daydreaming, I think. Sorry.”

“As long as it’s about me, then it’s fine.” Eucliffe teased, but she did not expect it and flushed, averting her sight. He blinked and smirked, pleased. “Oh?”

“S-shut up.”

“Care to share?”

“No. Just… Oh, tell me, do you have the second pose?” Lucy quickly came up with another topic, trying to avoid the obvious ones. Meanwhile, she stood up and took care of the cake he had brought. When she sat down again, Sting leaned ahead and brushed his fingers along her hand.

“Oh, yes. I have something special for you.” He snickered at her both confused and suspicious expression. “And you? For me?”

“I have an idea.” She mumbled, then sighed and sat back down, taking her hand away. “But I need you to pose the first one, one last time. Remember that you didn’t pose during our last artistic encounter?”

“I guess. I was busy telling you about my past and…” Sting’s smirk widened. “ _Persuading_ you to admit you want me just as much as I want you.”

Lucy blinked and blushed. “I r-remember.”

“Want me to persuade you more?” The man moved his brows suggestively. The woman flushed even more and furiously shook her head, making him laugh. Sting leaned back in his chair, grinning. “You’re cute.”

“S-stop it already with those compliments, will you?”

“Geez, fine.”

“Anyway, if you’re done, let’s get down to business.” She stood up, her eyes down. “I’ll prepare the drawing tools and you should undress.”

“My, my, what a nice day!” Sting hummed. “First, I come and get ravished, later we eat such a delicious dinner together, then an amazing woman asks me to jump out of my clothes. Sounds like the best date I’ve ever had.”

“Marvelous.” Lucy rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Now, hold your imagination in check and go.”

“Alright, alright.”

Lucy waited till Sting disappeared behind the door before smiling. He was such a tease. She took her time cleaning up the table and only then did she pass to the living room.

“Finally, I was beginning to think you fainted or something.” Sting commented when she entered.

“Nah, I was just cleaning the table.” She mumbled and adjusted the drawing so that it would be more comfortable to finish it. Next, she eyed the man; he was sitting there with a lazy smile, watching her doing such ordinary things with interest. “What?”

“Nothing. I like the way you look today.”

Lucy cocked one brow at him and glanced down; she was wearing a simple dress which ended before her knees. “There’s nothing special—”

“There is, believe me.”

She opened her mouth to protest further, but then closed it and gazed down at her feet, blushing. “U-um, thanks…”

“Now, why so shy?” Sting teased. “Normally, you’d protest further.”

“I-it’s nothing.” The blonde said quietly, then cleared her throat and forced herself to look at him. “Okay, ready? We have much work to do.”

“How much time do you need to finish the first drawing?”

Lucy eyed the picture, squinting her eyes. “Five to ten minutes.”

“Then we can start with another pose?”

“Will you be able to do the second one on the same day?”

“My, that hurts my pride. Do you think I’m that weak?” Sting grinned.

“Oh, no, never, it’s just that… It’s demanding.”

“Lucy, thank you for worrying over me, but I can handle that.”

The woman nodded and smiled. “Fine. But now—shut up and pose.”

Sting spat with laughter and did as he had been told; several minutes later, Lucy stepped back and eyed the portrait critically. She compared it with the original and nodded, satisfied. A bright smile graced her face when she put the tools down and turned to the man.

“Sting, it’s done. If you wanna see it, come.”

She did not have to repeat that; Sting stood up and approached her, grabbing a prepared towel on the way. He stopped in front of the easels and inspected the drawing. Lucy was staring at him with uncertainty, but then he turned back to her and smiled.

“Looks great! You’re good, really. The line you’re using is very precise and has proper thickness. Good job!”

“Glad you like it, ‘cause you seemed to be skeptical when you first saw it.”

“Just surprised.”  He admitted. “I wonder… how do you take proportions?”

Lucy’s grin widened and she explained what she was doing. She was extremely happy that their conversation turned onto such a nice topic as the art, which they both liked so much. It did not touch the matter of nudity, nor attraction or their emotions that time—which was making it easier to remain neutral while in his presence. And it was hard anyway; she was noticing _things._ Things like his scent when he was close, the way his hair moved to the side when he was turning his head to her, making her want to fix them with her hand; there was the way he called her, causing her skin to produce goosebumps, the movement of his soft and undeniably delicious lips, and his eyes softening whenever they were talking. All those elements which she knew but did not _know_ … They were distracting.

Or maybe it was only her? Was he that observant, too? Or was it just that—

“…ucy… Lucy… LUCY!”

“Ah!” She squealed and jumped, widening her eyes. “What’s wrong?!”

“There’s a dragon in your kitchen.” The man rolled his eyes. “I was talking to you, silly. And you weren’t listening. You spaced out and I lost you in another realm.”

“So-sorry. It wasn’t like I did it on purpose…”

“Are you okay?”

She eyed him. He seemed to be a little worried. “Yeah. Why?”

“I don’t know, there was something that made me ask.”

Lucy sighed, partly with relief. So he had no idea what was the reason for her mental absence. “Eucliffe, don’t push it.”

Sting laughed, shaking his head. She used his surname only in two situations; first: when they were joking, second: when he was close to finding something out. Yet, even though he knew there could be more to that, he dropped the topic and nodded. “Then show me the second pose.”

“Already? Don’t you wanna rest?”

“Nah, whatever for?”

“Alright.” Suddenly, Lucy smiled devilishly. “But I warn you; it _will_ exhaust you.”

Eucliffe cocked a brow at her. “My, woman, what have you come up with?”

“You’ll see in a moment.”

Lucy passed to her easels and carefully took the first part of the project down, adamant not to damage it. She placed it safely in a huge folder and closed it, satisfied. Next, she took a pile of clean sheets and sat down, turning to her companion.

“What are you doing? You should be standing there already!”

“Without any instructions?” Sting mocked.

“Waiting for them, Sting.” She giggled. “Just kidding. Anyway, see that pipe on the other side of the room?”

“Yeah.”

“Take it, it’s gonna be useful.”

“How?” He did not move at all, suspicious.

“Don’t you trust me?” Heartfilia asked innocently, tilting her head.

“Now I’m not sure.” The man joked, crossing his arms. “Why would I need it?”

“Because it’ll be easier for you to brace your muscles.” Lucy said like it were the most obvious and natural thing in the world. She noticed that her friend was gaping at her with disbelief, so she cleared her throat and stated with a small smile: “What, you said you wanted to know?”

“Forget it. Let’s pretend I didn’t ask.” Sting shook his head and went to grab the pipe. “I take it that the chair’s not needed anymore?”

“It’s not, indeed.” The host replied, widening her smile. Actually, she began having fun, making him confused and uncertain. It was rather entertaining, to see the man, usually so collected and so calm in distress. “Just you… and the pipe.”

“Okay, you’re scaring me.” He hesitated. “It doesn’t include any _dancing_ , right?”

The woman stared at him, processing the information she had received; she then burst out laughing. Tears slipped through her closed eyelids and she gasped: “So _that’s_ what’s you’re worried over! My dear Sting, I surely do not have that kind of a kink!”

“Come on, what was I supposed to think…” He mumbled and took the pipe. “Never mind, then.”

“Now, turn around.” Lucy said lightly, with amusement. “Nope. Around. Completely.” She watched Sting doing what she had told him before he glanced at her, waiting. “Now, hold the pipe in both hands, crunched in the elbows in front of yourself. Pretend it’s heavy.”

“How?”

“Have you ever held a barbell?”

“Lucy, for goodness sake. What do you want to achieve with that?”

She sighed. “Okay. Brace all the muscles.”

Sting remained silent for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Really?”

“Why not? Is it bad?”

“No… but—”

“Yeah?” The blonde asked sweetly, tapping her fingers.

Another moment of silence, then… “Fine. You know, Heartfilia, sometimes I really hate your ideas.”

“Aw, come on. If it’s too demanding, I can always—”

“No! It’s fine.” He clenched his jaws, although she could not see it; yet, it was hearable from the way he spoke. “Like this?”

Lucy watched his figure and realized that it had become really hot in the room. Or was it the blush all over her face that made her that way? Anyway, her thoughts suddenly focused on him, and only on him, pushing the idea of drawing, or even making a draw of the drawing away. Sting had a sportsman’s body, muscular, but not overdoing it like the participants of, let’s say, a Strong Men competition. Still, every muscle was visible, marking itself in his skin and adding to the man’s sex appeal. She gulped when he shifted. She could not get enough of the sight… Abruptly, she realized her thoughts were wandering off, strolling over the idea of tracing all of his muscles and the spaces between them with her hands, fingers… and maybe more…

 _No! Focus._ The woman shook her head vigorously, intending to concentrate back on the task… Until she heard booming laughter. _His_ laughter.

Surprised, she looked at Sting and her heart stopped; he was watching her in a mirror on the opposite wall. She totally forgot about it and dismissed it while making him pose. But now that he was turned face on to it… He could barely see her… Still, he _could_. And he must have seen all of her facial expressions and, and everything…

Thus, not believing her voice, she asked quietly: “W-what?” However, he did not comment on that, making the woman unsure whether it was better or actually worse. “Fine, then don’t tell me. And don’t move, I’m sketching, starting… now.”

It went much faster than she thought. She spent a moment, admiring the delicate pencil picture before telling him she was done. Sting, with a sigh of relief, put down the pipe and covered his groin, then came to his partner, sending her a quick glance, which she had missed.

“So? Could it be?”

“Seems okay to me.” Sting mused. “I wonder, how did you come up with this pose?”

“Well, the Internet _is_ a fascinating place.”

“Thought so. But maybe I shouldn’t have asked.” He chuckled. “Alright, Miss. Your turn.”

Lucy made a face, but obediently undressed, leaving her things at the sofa. Sting did not bother turning away, observing her with obvious pleasure. She _hmpf_ ed and asked as gracefully as she could while being naked.

“So? Position me.”

“Take a few steps back.” The man smirked knowingly while she was walking backwards. “That’s not right, one less. Okay. Now, turn around and stand in a straddle. More. More. Less. A little bit less… Great. Now, turn partly to the window. But! Turn only the upper part… Yes. Stop. And the arms; one of them must be up, you can place the hand on your neck, while the second…”

Yet, even though she managed to place the rest of her body like he wanted it, she had problems with her arms and hands. Finally, Eucliffe made a frustrated sigh and said:

“Just let me position them for you.”

“B-but—”

“Lucy, come on. I won’t do anything, you know that.” Suddenly, understanding fell upon him. “Ah, I see. Fine. I swear I will only fix your arms, I won’t do anything else. Now, can I come closer and do it? I can’t work without it.”

She hesitated. _But he swore…_ “Okay. Fine.”

His heart clenched at the sound of her voice, but he approached her anyway; he gently held her arms, trying to touch her the least he could. Yet, Lucy was still tense. Sting did not make any comment, aware now of that the psychical scar she had had a sexual undertone. _Still, damnit, is it so bad that she can’t stand_ me _, even though it’s been a while since we’ve been in such a relation…?_ Apparently, yes, that was the case.

At last, he backed away, holding in an urge to brush her hair or to at least peck her neck. “Done. Now, don’t move if you can.”

Lucy stayed silent, but he saw the blush covering her cheeks and neck. Trying not to smile, he went back and sketched her, his mind somewhere else. When he finished and called for her to see the draft, and she came, he could not help it anymore; he stared at her with everything he had been containing for the last weeks.

Meanwhile, the woman inspected the picture; it was less daring than the previous one, she rather looked like a nymph. Once again, she was awestruck by the details, which she praised out loud. However, Sting did not reply; Lucy turned her head to him and found their faces extremely close. Automatically, she immediately looked into his eyes and melted. Sting emitted a hum of approval and reached out to her, bringing her onto his lap. She came willingly.

“Sting?” She whispered, not sure what he was planning.

“I think I’m losing my mind.” He murmured, caressing her face with one of his fingers. “I want you more and more each time I see you. I, I’ve never felt something like this to anyone. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to make you mine… To be with you. To make you feel safe. Or to make you care about me as much as I do for you.”

Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. His statement… it made her insides flare. Her heart swelled so much she could fly. After all, he had admitted that he felt for her. Strongly. She thought that probably not even his previous girlfriend experienced so much of his devotion, although he had claimed that he had loved her… _She’s stupid to have let go of such a man._ Moreover, thanks to his confession, Lucy had lost all of her anxiety at the moment. She _had to_ answer. Had to show him she _did_ care for him already, that it was no laughing matter. Thus, since she had no verbal reply, she simply leaned in and kissed his lips sweetly, expressing her gratitude and affection.

Even if Sting was surprised, he did not let it show; he grabbed her waist and responded with passion. Lucy, shivering but not hesitating, reached up into his hair and brushed his scalp with her fingers delicately. The man did not expect such a pleasurable caress and groaned. She budged, but continued kissing him—to the very liking of them both.

After a while, Lucy pulled away, startled by that manifestation of both her bravery and emotions. She was not ashamed, no, she could never be ashamed of what she felt for him, but she was absolutely terrified of what she had done. Nonetheless, Sting was delighted; he was looking at her with a huge grin, his eyes shining more than the brightest stars. She shyly smiled back.

“Should I take it as a yes?” He asked quietly, unable to hide his hopefulness.

“I, I think so.” The woman mumbled, suddenly worried. “Still, can we take it slow? Like, really slow?”

“R-really? Yes?” Forgetting the previous gentleness, Sting asked loudly, completely stunned. He had expected everything _but_ an agreement. “You… you want to be with me? You _are_ with me?”

“Yes. I want to be with you, Sting. I know I like you very much…” She blushed and stood up from his lap. “And I want to try. I know there are issues, that there are many thing I don’t understand and, equally, there are things which you don’t understand, but I really, really just—”

The man gaped at her while she blabbered, then silenced her with a peck on her lips, which was super effective. “I don’t care about the issues. I, I’m in love with you, Lucy. And if there’s something which needs to be dealt with, I’d rather we did it together. Hell, I want you to know I’ll always be there for you. And I hope… truly hope… you will trust me enough one day to tell me about your darkness.”

“I want to.” Lucy bit her lip, trying not to cry. “I swear I’ll try.”

“Also, not to be a total hypocrite,” Sting murmured and hid his face in her neck, his lips moving against her skin. “I promise I will find it in myself to tell you all about _my_ issues, too.”

“Only if you want to.” She whispered and brushed his hair back.

“But now…” Suddenly, the man stood up. Lucy squealed and tried to land on her feet, yet, he held her in place, above the ground and in his arms. Then, he spun and finished his sentence; “I can’t believe it!”

“Aah! Put me down!”

“Nope, I won’t let go of you anytime soon.” He chuckled, but stopped spinning. “Just tell me, how slow is slow enough for you?”

Lucy, who clung to him for her dear life during the spinning part, managed to pull away as much as needed to look him in the face. Then, she cleaned her throat and told him seriously: “I’ll tell you if you cross the line, alright?”

He nodded happily and, to her terror, spun with her again. She whimpered and went back to embracing him as tight as possible, afraid of falling. Still, secretly, she did not really mind as long as she got to be close to him. And, even though she could not see his face, she knew Sting was more than elated to express just how much joy he was experiencing. Duh, no wonder, after such an anti-joyride she had provided him, all the times she had been denying or downright rejecting him…

Lucy cuddled into his chest, letting him do the crazy dance he was performing. She was not about to shoot the man down yet again. And, even though it was nothing, she truly considered it a beginning of making amends for all those weeks of confusion and idiocy on her part.


	14. The sickness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support :)
> 
> Not too many changes here, only the initial scene and a few details in the text.
> 
> Enjoy~  
> Love you all!

A week. A whole week.

It was how long they had been together already.

Lucy could not believe it.

Also, she could not believe that it was so utterly _perfect_. She had used to be so skeptic, so terrified of the concept of herself in a relationship, of having a boyfriend. After all, a boyfriend is no just mere friend. Naturally, the element of intimacy was what was horrifying. However, if there was anyone that she could trust, it was Sting Eucliffe.

Thus, she had trusted him. And he was simply P E R F E C T.

They had spent every single day together so far. Talking, watching movies, eating, getting used to each other on a daily basis. Trying to learn all the small, seemingly non-existent or unimportant details which, in fact, were _so_ significant. And, certainly, they were learning each other physically.

Nonetheless, Sting was nothing but a gentleman. Respectful and fully attentive to her needs. Whenever she was stiffening when they were kissing, or his hand wandered a little too far, she would tremble and tense up. Ans Sting would stop entirely his caresses to hold her gently. Or distract her with a funny story from his past. She was so freaking grateful for that all. Even though he never asked about it, patiently waiting for her to open up, she could see the questions flying through his head. The doubts and, once, even insecurity. Still, he never even stuttered about it.

And, as selfish as it was, she was thankful.

Because she would love to tell him.

There were two problems, though.

One: she was not ready to do so.

Two: she had no clue how to reveal something like that to a person who cared about her.

Yes. It was already a week.

But, at the same time, it was just a week.

* * *

 

“But—”

“No buts! Go and get him already!”

“Shit, it’s not that simple…”

Lucy watched as, for the fifth time during their Skype conversation, Levy was facepalming, completely losing her temper.

She had told McGarden about their progressing relationship, yet, she decided not to mention the fact they already were together. It was such a novity that she preferred to have a bit more time before spilling the news to her best friend. Especially that she would go and tell her whole pack about it as soon as Lucy hung up on Skype.

Moreover, she was concerned since Sting made no contact whatsoever since the previous day. She was worried she had angered him somehow, but had no idea with what. And _that_ she told Levy.

Which quickly proved to be a bad move.

“Listen, Lu. You’re a fucking coward and I’m beginning to think that you don’t deserve this man.” The bluenette barked at her. “He’s tired of this crap you’re giving him all the time, so no wonder he’s not talking to you now! Uhhh! You’ve already fallen for the guy so hard it’s hardly imaginable and you’re still making excuses not to claim him?! Are you out of your mind?!”

“Maybe I am!” Lucy replied sternly. “And I’m definitely scared! I wanted your _support_ , not a lecture.”

“I _am_ supporting you. Meaning, trying to force some brains into your blond head.” Her friend sighed. “No, seriously, I give up. You’re hopeless.”

“Am not, it’s just that…” Heartfilia rolled her eyes. “Sting deserves better. Someone who can give him everything.”

“And you can’t?”

She shook her head slowly, sad. “You know I can’t.”

“We both know it’s bullshit.” Levy’s eyes glowed with anger. “He kisses you. Not only do you like it, but you crave it. Correct?”

“I guess…”

“Then, he touches you. Like, both in private and in public. It excites you, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“Finally, you’re constantly thinking about him!”

Lucy threw her arms up and groaned. “So?”

“So, idiot, make your dreams come true and make it official. Geez, it’s like talking with my five year-old cousin!” McGarden was on the verge of pulling her hair out.

“You don’t understand, I told him—”

“Then _change your mind_ , Lu. You’re a woman, you can do that.”

Lucy spat. “That’s sexist.”

“But true.” The little woman mumbled.

“Lev, I’m in love with him, but I don’t know if that’s good enough?”

“You’re far past that point.”

The blonde mused, making a face. Was she? “What?”

“Honestly. You love each other. Do you want the past, those two degenerates to rule your whole life?” Levy repeated patiently. “Besides, do you really think he would harm you?”

“No.” Lucy replied with no hesitance.

“See? Then what are you waiting for? Sting crawling to you and begging you to be his, with a diamond ring and flowers?”

“Of course not!” There, Lucy shivered and made another face. “No way!”

“THEN GO!”

“W-what should I do?”

“Invite him somewhere.” Levy suggested.

“After our session?”

“Could be!”

Lucy rolled on her back so she could reach the phone. However, there already was a message.

_Lucy, sorry, but I can’t meet up today. I’m sick._

“Damn. He’s sick.” The blonde sighed. “There you go.”

_Oh! Are you alright?_

_Not really, high fever and stuff…_

“What will you do?” The bluenette looked suspiciously at her friend.

But Lucy already was sending a reply:

_Fine. I’ll be there in fifteen._

_You don’t have to come. You might get sick, too…_

_Silly. Expect me._

“I told him I was coming.” Lucy said plainly. “Oh! Then I have to move it, I promised to be there in fifteen.”

“Sure. Good luck.” Levy waved at her and turned the camera off. Lucy got up and opened her wardrobe. Not knowing whether they would be alone or Ryos was there, too, she decided to wear loose pants and a normal, not overly big top, but under a big sweater.

On her way to Sting’s, Lucy was musing over the previous week and how quickly it went. How Sting was amazing and he never pushed her with anything, how patient and thoughtful he was. And how happy she was to be his girlfriend.

Yet, she was not allowed to think much more over their relationship for she arrived pretty quickly, and again focused solely on worrying over the man. He should have been more careful! She had told him two days before to wear a jacket when they had gone out to the bakery, but, of course, he had been wiser than that. Lucy huffed. Besides, the deadline of their project was coming up, they could not allow themselves to take many more breaks.

Standing in front of the intercom, she called from downstairs, hoping someone would open the door for her. No one answered, though, so she called again. Finally, someone’s voice broke the silence.

“Yes?”

“Um, hi, it’s Lucy…”

The male voice said nothing, but opened the passage; she guessed it was Ryos. She hurried upstairs and fixed her hair, just in time to be greeted by the brunet in the door.

“Hello. I was expecting you.” He said quietly while she was getting inside. Even though he seemed rather indifferent, Lucy noticed the interested glances he was throwing at her.

“Thanks.” She replied and took off her shoes. “Wait, why?”

“Well. He told me about your appointment today and since you’re so close, I guess it wasn’t too hard to figure you’ll come.”

Lucy nodded slowly, then tilted her head and asked worriedly: “How is he?”

“Oh, acting like it’s a big deal. I suspect he is not _that_ ill.” Ryos shrugged and began walking away, leaving her in the hall. “Feel like at home, use the kitchen, bathroom, and everything that you like. If you need anything, knock on that door.”

He pointed at the third door to the left and disappeared behind them. Lucy did not even have time to thank him; thus, she went ahead to the room she knew was Sting’s. The woman took a deep breath and knocked delicately, yet, no one replied. Frowning, she repeated the action, to no effect. Finally, a little annoyed and preoccupied, she pushed the door open.

The view had Lucy widening her eyes. There were tissues left literally everywhere. Loads of clothes on the floor. A plastic basket with pills and other medicine. And, on the bed, a sleeping and snoring man laying on his stomach. His skin was pale and he was breathing unevenly; sweat was all over his face and back, which were uncovered by the sheets. Oh gods. It did not look well.

The woman sighed quietly and, since Eucliffe was fast asleep and she did not want to wake him, decided to clean up the room first. After all, it was the first step to getting better. Thus, she grabbed a garbage bin standing under a desk and began throwing out things littered all around; when she was done with that, Lucy began collecting and folding the clothes.

Finally, she came closer to the bed and took care of the last pile of shirts. Suddenly, she realized that Sting was breathing differently than a few moments ago; thus, she turned to look at him and found him awake. He was motionless, but observing her with tired eyes. Lucy smiled softly and whispered:

“Hi.” But, presumably, he did not reply; maybe he had no strength, or simply did not want to. Either way, she understood. “I’ll finish the cleaning and then make you something to drink. You need to get some fluids inside. But, first and foremost, I need to check your temperature.”

Sting was still staring at her with hazy eyes, as if he was trying to determine whether he was dreaming or not. Lucy was sorry to see pain in them.

She stood up and put the clothes away. Gazing around, she nodded with content. The room was livable again. Telling the man she would be back soon, she exited the bedroom and directed herself to the kitchen. She set water for boiling and supplied the fridge with chicken parts for chicken soup and vegetables. After that, she returned to Sting. Lucy found a thermometer, which was laying beside his bed already. It was a miracle she had not stepped on it earlier. Then, she came closer to the lifeless figure, sitting on the edge of the bed again.

“Sting.” She called him gently. “You must roll on your side to hold the thermometer. Please?”

At first, Lucy thought he did not hear her. Yet, after a few minutes, he moved with a deep frown and much difficulty. Slowly, he lied back down, breathing fast. Lucy lifted his head and gently put a pillow under it, not caring about the sweat covering her palms. Then, she placed the device under his armpit and waited, watching him and caressing both his forehead and temples in an attempt to ease the pain. It felt so natural to be there, to help him through sickness, to take care of him.

“My poor Sting…” She mumbled sympathetically. He closed his eyes, but the frown did not falter entirely. After a few minutes, Heartfilia moved and took her hand away. “Alright, I need the thermometer back.”

She took it out and emitted a muffled squeal. “Sting! Oh my God, you’re completely sick!”

“No… way…” He mumbled, panting with every word. His voice was tired and breathy.

“That’s it. I need to cool you down.”

“But… c-cold…”

Lucy eyed him and noticed with panic that Eucliffe was shaking violently. She quickly covered him with the duvet and started up, willing to find another blanket. Opening his wardrobe, she ignored the clothes which attacked her and grabbed a loose blanket, just to hurry back.

Having covered him in another cloth, she went to grasp some aspirin from the basket and forced the man to take it; then, she sat down next to him and decided to wait till he got better, then she would take him to the bathroom.

Yet, before she could execute that plan, Sting fell asleep again. So, she sighed and gave up. Sting needed his sleep now. “Fine. I’ll let you sleep a bit, but then we’re gonna force the fever down. I’ll start making chicken soup, then.”

Though she wanted to stay with him, Lucy went to the kitchen and took out the vegetables and chicken parts she had stored there. She turned off the boiling water and sighed. So much for making tea.

She started cutting vegetables for broth. In the meantime, she was worrying over how to transport her sick boyfriend to the bathroom without him collapsing on the way.

“Lucy?”

She budged and turned her head to Ryos, who strolled into the kitchen with curiosity painted on his face. “Oh, hey.”

“What are you doing?”

“Um… Making soup?”

“Ah.” He nodded, then hesitated. “You took my advice to heart Good. Do you, er, need any help?”

“No, thanks. But I hope you’ll find it edible enough to eat with us.” She grinned and waved a chicken thigh at him.

Ryos looked like he was thinking whether her cooking skills were good enough for him, but eventually bobbed his head. “The spices are in the second drawer. The rest you’ll find in the fridge.”

“Thank you! Ah! And, say… do you have any ice?” Lucy asked quickly when she realized the man started to retreat.

“Yes.”

“How much?”

The brunet raised one brow in silent question, but strolled to the refrigerator and opened one of the drawers. Lucy smiled; it was full of ice cubes.

“Ice seems to be the only thing you always have.” She joked.

“Well. There are two guys living here. That’s all we need at times.”

“I see.” She nodded. “Um, do you mind if I take it all?”

“All of it? What for?” Ryos frowned.

“I… I need to cool Sting down.” Lucy was not looking at him anymore, pretending to be fully focused on stirring the broth. “He’s really sick. Fever of 41 Celsius degrees is the peak. One more and he will die.”

Ryos scratched his head. “Shit… Fine. Use it.” He began walking away, but stopped at the door and turned to her. “Just… Don’t make me wash that idiot or something.”

“No worries. I’ve got it.” The woman winked, making him ghost a smile.

“You are completely different from what you seem like at the faculty.”

Lucy sighed. “You’re not the first one to say that.”

Amused, Ryos nodded and left. Lucy shrugged, put the chicken into the pot and, having made sure it was safely going to simmer for a while, went into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and began filling the tube slowly with cold water. It was not going to be pleasurable… Lucy grimaced. Once, she had had to undergo such treatment, and she knew it was a nightmare. Still, if it could save him… Thus, she hesitantly went to Sting to wake him up.

She almost cried when she saw him in that state. He was always lively, teasing, full of wit and humor. And now… he was everything but. Lucy approached him and delicately shook his shoulder. She noted that the fever did not go down much. If at all. “Sting.” He did not move. “Sting, wake up.” Again, he did not react. Therefore, Lucy leaned in and caressed his cheek with her fingers, then his nose, finally whispering over his ear. “Wake up, sleepy head.”

At that, Sting grunted slightly. He was awake now. Well, kind of. She smiled and went on. “I know you don’t want to get up, but I have to ask it of you.” Another grunt. “Please…”

“Hot…” The man murmured, trying to free himself from the sheets.

“I’ll make it better for you.” Lucy promised. “Now, come on.”

She stood up, grabbed his arms, and pulled; struggling beyond belief, Sting helped her bring himself up to a sitting position. Once he was there, he flinched and squinted his eyes in obvious suffering. The woman gave him a few seconds to adapt, then pressed on. Encouraging him softly, Lucy made him leave the blankets on the bed. She blushed a little when his half-naked form met her eyes, but came to hold him anyway. A real challenge was to make the man stand up; she did not have that much strength to put him on his feet alone, so, after some convincing and with _some_ help, Sting lifted himself, swaying. The woman was standing right beside, with his left arm wrapped around her neck and shoulders to stabilize him, her right arm entangled around his waist. Sting was barely standing upright, his legs like cotton. The hotness from his body was creeping on her and Lucy began to sweat a little.

“Okay. It’s bad, but we can make it.” She uttered from behind gritted teeth. “Now, let’s go, slowly.”

One step. Another. And one more. Unhurriedly, she was leading the almost completely helpless man to the bathroom where she was preparing the ice cold bath. _It’s gonna be a shock to him_ … She thought sullenly. Hopefully, he would not be too stubborn and would not refuse to cooperate. Or splash the water everywhere, for instance all over her.

At the very last, they managed to get to the bathroom. Lucy had to forcefully remove his tight hold on her and made him lean on the nearest piece of furniture. She stopped the still running water and checked it; it was almost cold, just as she wanted it. It was better for the beginning; throwing the man into ice cold water could seriously harm him, too.

“Alright.” She announced hesitantly, turning to him; he was still bracing himself on the sink. His head was hung low and she could see his broad chest rising and falling fast under his ragged, hollow breath. “Time to jump out of your clothes.”

“No.” Immediately, Sting panted, not even looking at her.

“What do you mean: no, of course you are taking them off.” Heartfilia got a little annoyed and huffed. “Look, I know you’re sick and your perception is disturbed, but—”

“No.”

“Damn it, Sting, cut the crap, I already know every millimeter of you! Stop this childishness and stand still.”

But the man did not seem to be convinced that easily. He attempted to take a step back from her, which resulted in him hitting the toilet behind himself. Lucy rolled her eyes and went to check the water once more; it was getting slightly warmer. He had to enter the tube as soon as possible.

Yet, when she turned around, she saw his sitting down on the toilet he stumbled upon.

“No, no, no, NO! Sting, you dork, get up, please, don’t make me pull you up _again_.” Lucy felt tears coming into her eyes, but, of course, he did not react. Duh, he probably was not even aware of her really being there. “Why are you being so difficult?”

Eucliffe blinked, then sighed. But, otherwise, he did not show any indication he had heard a word. Determined, Lucy decided to use more demanding methods; the blonde came closer and bowed down, placing her cheek on his chest and embracing him with her arms. Next, she pulled him towards herself, trying to force him to stand up. It was really tough work, to make him get off the place, but somehow she managed to do it. Seizing the opportunity, Lucy quickly grabbed his sweatpants and pulled them down his legs, doing the same thing to his boxers. She felt entirely excused when she blushed scarlet; also, when her traitorous eyes caught a glimpse of him. Averting her sight, she mumbled:

“There. It wasn’t that hard, was it?”

He remained silent. Shyly, she glanced at Sting; he was staring at her, or so it looked like, with a frown. It was doubtful that he recognized her or understood what was even happening. Heartfilia felt uncomfortable; what if, subconsciously, he thought she was taking advantage of him? Nonetheless, she led him to the bathtub and sat him down in the water. Immediately, he hissed.

“C-cold…” Sting grunted and tried to get out.

“NO.” Lucy replied sternly and basically pushed him down. “You will sit here and be nice. Er… Can I use any towel here?”

To her surprise, he lifted one hand and pointed at the second towel on the heater. Nodding, she took it, rolled around her palm, and wet it in the water. Sting had his head lowered, so she had to warn him about the upcoming cooldown. She squeezed too much water out and began delicately sliding the towel down his back and shoulders. He budged, but said nothing. Every few moves, she was wetting her palm again to keep the cloth cold. At some point she remembered that her mother, while she had been alive, used to sing or hum when she was sick, Lucy picked a slow melody and began to hum, out of pace and tune. She hoped it would calm him. And, surprisingly, it seemed to work; her patient relaxed a little.

When she decided his back received enough attention, she laid him down in the bathtub and repeated the treatment with his face. Suddenly more tender, Lucy put her hand on his cheek, then his forehead; the fever did not drop much yet. She checked the water and tutted; it became much too warm to actually cool him down! Well, she _had_ expected that. Thus, she stood up.

“I will come back in a minute.” She promised. “Sting, don’t you move.”

Leaving the man with a heavy heart, Lucy ran to the kitchen and pulled the whole drawer with ice out, then poured half of the content into a bowl. She then returned to the bathroom; relieved, she found the man in the same position as she had left him. Praising him, she started to gradually add the ice cubes into the water. When there were only two left, she took one and leaned over him while sitting on the edge of the tube.

Holding the ice in her fingers, she experimentally slid it along his forehead, cheeks, and lips. Feeling the amazing coolness, Sting opened his mouth and sighed with relief. That made Lucy smile. Yes, that was more like it.

However, when she accidentally touched his ear with the cube, Sting sat down so abruptly that the water splashed all around the bathroom. Lucy squealed and jumped off the tub ledge; yet, she slipped on the wet floor and landed on her butt painfully.

“Crap! Ouch!” She cried and then eyed herself; the whole sweater on the front was drained. Along with the top underneath. Therefore, having no other choice, she took them both off, which left her only in a bra. The woman threw her clothes into a corner and went back to Eucliffe. Even though she wanted to, she could not be mad at the man. “Lay back down, I won’t touch your ear anymore. Promise.”

Slowly, he relented. Sting was looking at his nurse, seemingly more conscious—or maybe it was just her wishful thinking. Lucy was silently taking care of him, being under constant observation. At some point, she gazed him in the eyes and smiled softly. He did not mirror the expression, but she never expected him to. Instead, she took the towel once more and wiped new sweat droplets from his forehead.

“Are you less hot now?” She asked gently. Sting hesitated, then nodded slowly. “That’s a relief. But your fever is still high… I’ll have to add more ice.” He relaxed and closed his eyes, which she took as a consent. “Don’t move. I’ll be back.”

Not bothering to cover herself, Lucy stood up and rushed to the kitchen to take the rest of the ice cubes. Returning, she was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she missed Ryos Chenney coming out of his room and staring after her with raised brows. She went back to the bathroom… and screamed.

Sting remained in the bathtub, alright. Yet, he was not _sitting_ there. No. He was laying completely _under_ water. In panic, Heartfilia ran to the tub and unceremoniously pulled the man out.

“Eucliffe! You moron! What are you doing?!” Lucy hissed.

“Nothing…” Sting mumbled and coughed when a few droplets fell into his throat.

“Don’t try to drown yourself! Idiot, I wasn’t here only for half a minute!”

“But my head _hurts_ …”

“Then tell _me_ , don’t act on your own! Honestly, I get it, thinking is hard in that state, but try nott to kill yourself?” She huffed and grabbed the unused second towel. Instantly, she began energetically drying his hair. Sting emitted a groan under such roughness. However, the blonde did not know pity. “Then you shouldn’t have wet them!”

When she made sure that his hair were dry again, she threw the whole new pile of cubes into the water. He looked at her with tired reproach, yet, Lucy glared at him.

“Lean back.” He did, maybe not wanting to anger her more. The woman checked the water temperature and groaned internally. It had not been that wise to throw the ice in, because it was colder only at one place. Thus, she had to stir the water. “Okay. Fine. Don’t move, Sting.” Making sure the man understood, she put her arm inside and moved it all around the tub. Lucy was trying not to glance at his groin, so she preoccupied herself with gazing at his face; since she was not looking what she was doing, she brushed her fingers along his thigh. “Oh! S-sorry.”

Sting was either too weak to reply, or still barely conscious, thus he did not comment on that. Flushed, Lucy straightened her back. Then, she took one cube and again traced it along his features.

Finally, after a while, his body temperature went down. She smiled a little and decided to apply her own method; Lucy stood up and put her lips on his forehead, then on his cheek. Satisfied, she backed away and stated:

“Great, the fever’s getting better. Now I need to take you out before you freeze.” She stared at him expectantly, but Sting did not move a finger. The woman rolled her eyes and bent down. “Um, Sting?”

“No. I want… to stay here…”

“You’re such a kid sometimes. You’ll be very cold in a moment.” Lucy sighed and mused. To pick him up, she would have to get into the tube. “If I help, will you stand?”

Eucliffe squinted his eyes, then nodded. She sighed and took the stopper out to let the tub drain. She rolled her pants up, then prepared the last dry towel in the bathroom. Hanging it on the sink, she went inside the tube and stood over the man, fitting between his legs. Lucy gulped and bowed down to entangle her arms around him, right under his shoulders.

“But remember, you need to help me.” She warned, placing her face next to his ear. “Okay. Ready? On three. One… Two… Three!”

Heartfilia pulled at the exact moment when Sting pushed himself up… However, it would have been too beautiful to work. His strength was not enough to catch balance and Lucy realized in panic that he was falling backwards… Sting tried to stop it by catching the closest thing he could brace himself on; Lucy. She realized that and cried out, but it was too late; the man fell back into the water…

With her landing straight on top of him.

 _Fuck!_ Horrified, Lucy was scared to open her eyes. Hell, she was scared to make any move. His nakedness did not help the matters, and it only worsened her feeling of guilt and shame. Of all the moments she could have touched her boyfriend, it had to be that way. Seconds later, Heartfilia tried to stand up, but only slipped again and landed back onto his chest, her legs trapped between his. She swore and closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself.

So, she kept laying on him, completely mortified, until she felt him trembling.

Terrified that she had made him feverish again, she turned her head to him…

Only to see him laughing weakly.

“I, I am so, so, SO sorry!” She exclaimed, blushing hard and trying to pick herself up.

“It’s… okay…” Sting murmured, scowling when he made a sharper move with his head. “Just help me up.”

Feeling adrenaline doing its job, Lucy stood up and managed to put him on his feet somehow. She reached for the towel and quickly covered Sting’s private parts. She herself went out first and stood nearby, shivering slightly from the cold. There was no other cloth to cover herself in, so she patiently waited for her boyfriend to dry himself. She was stubbornly gazing anywhere but at the naked man, although she had to watch him from the corner of the eye. What if he fell again?

Suddenly, the towel he held hit her in the face. She pulled it off with reproach, ready to say something, but he beat her to it.

“Dry yourself.” Sting said weakly. “You’ll be sick, too.”

“I don’t care till you’re safe in bed.” Lucy responded and hurried to him, covering his groin again. “Come on, I’ll help you get there.”

She gently took his hand and flung his arm around her neck, then helped him out of the bath. Her wet pants were sticking to her legs, but she did not care at the moment. She will deal with them later, as well as with the wet floor. Slowly, they went to Sting’s room; there, Lucy placed the man on the bed, took the towel off, covered him up, and brushed his hair out of his eyes when his head rested on the pillow. At once, he began breathing evenly. He fell asleep.

“He has to be tired from all of this.” Lucy smiled to herself and stretched. She glared at her wet pants and lack of shirt, and chastised herself in thoughts for not taking additional ones. With no other choice, the woman approached the clothes she had folded and, having rummaged through them, found one of Sting’s T-shirts which would pass for a dress on her. She changed and nodded, content. That would do. Then, she went to the kitchen to finish making the soup.

But the kitchen was occupied already. Not sure whether she could interrupt, she knocked on the doorframe. He did not reply, so she shrugged and entered.

“Ryos!” The blonde acknowledged his presence verbally.

“Ah, Lucy. I can see—and could hear—that you were having much fun.” He eyed her attire with a smirk.

“Come on, have you ever tried to lift a dead body?” She murmured. “I ain’t no culturist, I don’t have that much strength. I’m just glad he doesn’t have any brain damage from all those falls.”

“I’m afraid he’s permanently acting like it already.”

Lucy giggled and hit him gently on the arm. “Oh right. I came to turn off the soup. It should stay here for a while. Ah, and I was wondering…” Lucy moved uncomfortably, then raised her eyes at him. “Um… Would it bother you if I stayed? For the night?”

“No, but.” The man’s brows disappeared under his bangs. “Wow. I’ve never thought you are that kind of girl.”

“What? Am not! Jesus, Ryos.” She scoffed and crossed her arms, frowning. “Are you—”

“Kidding. It was a joke. I am not an idiot.” Ryos explained, still without any emotions showing.

“Oh. Alright.” She dropped the topic and, to his surprise, added with a huge grin. “Got a concealed sense of humor, eh? I think we’ll get along just fine.”

Ryos stared at her for a little longer, then muttered: “Strange.” before retreating. Lucy stared after him, but eventually shrugged and added spices the soup. Then, the woman found a mop and went to clean up the wet mess the blondes had left in the bathroom, as well as the water path back to Sting’s. When she managed to make the place look presentable again, she took a clean rag from the kitchen and wet it in cold water. Finally, she returned to Sting’s room.

He was entangled in his duvet, sleeping soundly. Heartfilia sighed and placed the cold material on his forehead. Then, she collected her wet clothes and hung them on a heater under the window. _I should also take Sting’s shirt off so that my underwear gets dry, too…_  But she hesitated. What if she stumbled upon Ryos?

She shivered and grabbed the additional blanket she had previously brought for Sting, and laid down on the edge of his bed, watching him breathe. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

Lucy was replacing the cold compress on his forehead during the whole night. She had to wake him up several times to force some water or tea into him, plus once some aspirin. During the rest of the night, Sting was asleep. Around 4am, she sat down back on the edge of the bed and tended to him from there. Since it was more than warm, she took off his T-shirt and remained in the underwear. Surely, she would have time to dress back up before the man wakes up. She did not know when she fell asleep.

* * *

 

Sting opened his eyes and was faced with the wall. He moved his head tentatively and discovered it was better. His head was not pounding as much as before and it was not that heavy. Plus he did not have hallucinations.

Because he was certain he had had those. At first, he thought he was dreaming. Lucy Heartfilia came over and was taking care of him. But he was certainly alone and in his bed, where he remembered being for the last time. Then, when he tried to turn, he realized he was naked and with a compress over his head—and Sting changed his mind. Those had to have been hallucinations. There was no way she would have come and tended to him… Was there? He had to, on the edge of his consciousness, do it all himself… Because he seriously doubted that Rogue had done anything.

Nonetheless, when the man fell motionless again, he heard something, like additional breathing… It was close. Frowning, he intended to roll on the edge of the bed and check it out; however, when he moved, piercing pain went through his skull and he groaned in agony.

At once, a blonde head with a sleepy but worried expression appeared above his head. Her chocolate eyes were full of sympathy and she spoke to him:

“Sting? Are you alright?”

Once he uncovered his eyes, he stared at Lucy. She seemed exhausted and ruffled. “What? Am I still hallucinating?”

“What? No! Oh, wait, you must think—” She bit her lip, then explained. “I stayed the night. You were in a terrible condition yesterday, so I couldn’t just leave you alone—”

“You-you were here yesterday?” Sting was shocked. So it had not been a dream?

“Duh?” She cocked a brow at him and smiled softly. “But I’m not surprised you don’t remember well. Now, how are you feeling?”

He thought about it, then cracked a tired smile. “Weak. But better, I guess.”

“I need to check it by myself. Oh! But first, I’ll make some tea, you did not drink enough.”

Having said that, Lucy started up—and Eucliffe saw that she was only in her underwear. His mind swirled with all the thoughts coming to his head. “W-wait!”

“What?”

“Where are your clothes?!”

She blushed. Thank God he reminded her! “They were all wet, so I had to dry them.”

The man opened his mouth, but closed it, speechless. Then, he watched her pull his shirt on, which both pleased and confused him even more. Just _what_ had happened? “Go. But you’re so telling me everything when you’re back.”

Lucy simply nodded and left. Meanwhile, he closed his eyes and tried to remember the day before… Why was he naked? It must have been her who had undressed him… Why, then? What for? Was he in such a bad condition that he did not register anything?

Moreover, why was Lucy sleeping with him on the bed? Almost naked, to be precise? No. It was too much for his poor head at that moment… He moaned and squinted his eyes when pulsing pain in his temples screamed at him to stop the analysis. He would wait for Lucy to explain everything, like she promised.

* * *

 

If she were honest, Lucy would admit she was feeling… secure enough not to care about Ryos seeing her in Sting’s stuff again. It was a strange discovery, yet, she concluded it an improvement. The guy was nice enough, and he was Sting’s best friend. Hell, he was even using a nickname among friends! Lucy smiled to herself. Right. He was okay, not a threat. More like a brother type… Besides, considering she had shown Levy her work, Sting had probably shared it with Ryos, too… Which did not make her want to throw a party, true, but she simply accepted it as a given.

So, when she set the water to boil and managed to put the soup on fire, she was not at all surprised when she heard steps and Ryos Chenney entered the kitchen. She had to hold a snort in when she noticed his messy hair.

He eyed her, but said nothing except a pleasant: “Morning.”

“Hi! Had a good sleep?” Lucy asked, snickering when he quickly flattened his dark locks.

“Better than yours, I am sure.” He replied a little dryly, but his eyes twinkled with mirth. “How is my idiot flat mate? Is he gonna make it?”

“Oh, definitely. He’s getting better. I’m making him tea, would you like some, too?”

“No. Thank you.” He shook his head, then turned more serious. “When you dress him up, call me. I need to talk to him.”

Lucy blushed. How did he know that Sting was not clothed?! “Umm, fine. Although… Can’t it wait? He’s still weak, you know.”

“It cannot.” Chenney frowned and added with more humor. “I won’t take him away from you for long.”

“Seriously? That’s not the point.” She rolled her eyes.

“I know. I was teasing you.” He replied with a poker face. “But fine, then we’ll talk over lunch. Anyway, around 3PM Yukino, Angel, and Sherry are coming over. Will you join us? You are most welcome, and not only because you’ve helped Sting so much.”

“Oh! That’s nice of you, but… Thanks, but no, thanks.” Lucy said uncomfortably. “I-I need to do something at home. So I’ll serve you both lunch and probably go home…”

“Oh. Pity.”

She looked at him with question in her eyes. Having noticed, Ryos shrugged and added:

“You’re interesting. Besides, both Sting and I would like you to stay.”

“Thanks.” Lucy smiled softly. “Although I’d like to get to know you better and stay with Sting, I really can’t. Maybe next time?”

“Next time, then.” He nodded. “But are you sure it’s not because of Sorano?”

“Sorano?” The blonde repeated, dumbfounded.

“She goes by the name of Angel, but it’s only her middle name… Her real name is Sorano. She’s Yukino’s cousin or something.” The brunet frowned. “I’ve heard you two are not best friends.”

“We’re not.” She scowled. “And if you must know, yes, partly, I want to go home because of her.”

 “Well, cannot be helped.” Ryos shrugged and left the room, saying: “Call me when lunch’s ready.”

“Okay!”

Heartfilia mused over the information. So, her arch enemy was using a fake name. Interesting… Still, not as interesting as to stay and find out more about that. Since they were coming over at 3PM… She had to leave before that hour, or she would bump into Angel. The blonde bit her lip. But she should stay to help her boyfriend for as long as possible… Well, she would see. After all, there was still some time left.

Finally, the water boiled. She made two teas and hurried to Sting.

“I’m back.” Lucy stated when she entered the room and closed the door.

“Good.”

She found him sitting on the bed, his groin covered by the blanket. He was gazing at her with both interest and slight amusement—or so she thought. Lucy smiled softly and put the teas down, then strolled to him. Bowing down to level herself with his head, it seemed like she wanted to kiss him—but she only put her lips on his forehead for a few seconds, then on his cheek. Sting was observing her from under half-lidded eyes. When she began to pull away, he caught her hand, making her stop several centimeters from his face.

“What was that for?” He whispered.

“I was checking the fever.” Lucy answered just as gently.

“Oh? Then you forgot about one important body part which can show you that perfectly.”

“Which is?”

“What about the mouth?” He murmured, now staring at her lips with hazy sight. “Did you know that you can measure the temperature through the mouth?”

“You’re joking.”

“Try me.”

Although he was probably teasing her, and most definitely would pass the sickness to her, Lucy smirked and licked her lips, then hummed. “I guess there’s no harm.” And she kissed him softly.

 _Oh gods, yes._ Moving her lips with his, the woman felt pleasurable shivers going along her spine. She realized she missed kissing him and she missed his taste. She missed his touch. And she started to lose herself in the caress. Unconsciously, she made it a little more demanding and took a step ahead.

Sting lost his balance and lied down on his back, pulling the woman with him. Doing everything not to break the kiss, Lucy fell on him. Her hands cupped his face and she moaned his name when his tongue swirled with hers. Sting rolled over so that he could hover over the woman and changed the angle; suddenly, though, he flinched and Lucy gasped. She quickly got out from under Sting, making him raise his brows. He was looking so good, barely covered by the sheet, plopped on one elbow, turned partly to her.

“It’s the second time I fall on you while you’re naked. Just put some clothes on, got it?” She muttered, still breathless.

“Well, look who’s talking. You have no idea what you’re doing to me… wearing my shirt.” Sting gulped and said sensually: “Doesn’t make me wanna put _anything_ on, on the contrary…”

“Sting!” Lucy glared at him, could not hide a small smile playing on her lips.

He chuckled and asked innocently. “So? How’s the fever?”

“The… what?”

“The fever.” He snickered, delighted.

 _Damn this man…_ Of course she did not pay any attention to that. “U-um, still high, but not as much as yesterday.”

“Which reminds me, what happened yesterday?” Sting asked. “Better start from the beginning, ‘cause I can’t remember shit.”

Lucy sat down next to him and gazed at the man. “Okay, so, you wrote me that you were sick and could not meet for the session—”

“I did?” He asked in amazement.

“You don’t remember at all?” Lucy blinked and frowned. “Well, anyway… I came here soon after, cleaned up your room, and took your temperature. You were burning up, I almost freaked out since the fever was much too high, it was really dreadful. I, I decided the only way was to cool you down.”

“ _You_ cooled me down, Lucy?” The man chuckled. “I always thought you could only make me hot.”

“Jokes aside,” She continued louder. “I had to sit you in cold water and—”

“So, say… You undressed me?” Sting snickered at his embarrassed girlfriend.

“I, I had to!”

“You know, now that you mention it, I do remember something like that happening… Though I thought it was a dream.”

“Then in that dream, you were really reluctant to undress.” Lucy said quietly, looking away. “I had to apply drastic methods.”

“Me? Reluctant to undress in front of you? Huh! That’s rich.”

“I think you just didn’t recognize me, Sting.”

“In that dream, there was also a moment when you were on top of me in the bath.” If he widened his grin even more, his face would rip.

“W-well, it was an accident!”

There, she stopped and bit her lip. He was about to ask what was wrong, but she shook her head. Thus, the man asked: “Alright… How high was my fever?”

“41 Celsius degrees.”

Sting’s eyes widened. “Damn.”

“You scared me half to death.”

“I’m fine.”

“Now you will be.” She corrected him. “Now, be a good boy and put something on. When you do, come to the kitchen, I’ll serve lunch. Then you can take medicine and I’ll go home.”

“Home? What? No! Stay.” Sting did not hide his disappointment. He shifted closer to his girlfriend. “Why do you want to go so fast?”

“I can’t stay.” Lucy hung her head and made a sad face, inspecting her fingernails. “Your friends are coming later on, I really don’t want to meet Angel.”

“So? I can kick her out. I’d rather have you here forever than—”

“Sting. I really don’t like the idea of leaving you still so sick, but… You know.”

He sighed in defeat. “Do as you please. I understand. Which doesn’t mean I don’t want you here.”

“Thanks.” She mumbled and stood up, walking out of the room and going straight to the kitchen.

Hardly distracted anymore, she boiled some pasta for the soup and called the men for lunch. Ryos appeared first, then Sting managed to stumble into the room. They nodded at each other and sat down, already talking quietly. Lucy was not listening to their conversation, knowing that Ryos wanted something important from his flat mate. Smiling, she poured the liquid into bowls and brought it to them.

“Smells good.” Commented Chenney.

“Yeah.” Admitted Sting and smiled appreciatively. “Thanks.”

“Eat it while it’s hot, guys.” Lucy advised them and went back to the pot to store it for later.

“You know, you scored good with that project.” She heard the brunet speaking to the other man. “Not only is she amiable and fun, but also a great cook.”

“I know, right.”

She did not have to look at them to know that Sting was smirking. Smiling herself, she strolled to the table with her own plate to eat with the guys.

In the afternoon, Lucy insisted on going back home. She left the men in the kitchen and entered Sting’s room to collect her things, mainly the clothes which she pulled on at once. They were not entirely dry yet, but there was hardly anything she could have done about that anymore. The only thing she did not wear was her stretched sweater; Heartfilia grimaced and packed it into her bag. Not even five minutes later she heard the door open and then close, and she smiled.

The person came to her from behind and embraced her around the waist. His head landed on her shoulder, to the right of her face. Lucy closed her eyes and leaned into the man. “Sting.”

“Rogue told me what you did.” He said slowly, lowly. His breath tickled her skin, his lips brushing her earlobe. She gasped when he nibbled on her right ear, his hands making circles on her stomach. “I, I don’t know how to thank you.”

“No problem. I was truly happy to help.” Lucy answered with some difficulty, granting him better access.

“Come on. You sacrificed more than 24h for my sake.” Sting cracked a smile, planting butterfly kisses along her neck.

“Like I said, no problem.” Lucy hummed and allowed her hand to wander into his hair, scratching his scalp and bringing his lips closer to her skin in the process. “I didn’t want you to suffer.”

The man grunted and gently turned Lucy to himself, his expression tender. She stared at him, her face mysterious.

“I really… appreciate that you came.” He whispered, cupping her left cheek. “I’d have still been knocked out if it was not for you.”

“I couldn’t just leave you on your own, you know.”

Sting smiled. “I owe you so much. Thank you.”

He slowly kissed the top of her head, then slowly passed on her forehead. Then, he reached her temples. Her nose. Both of the rosy cheeks. The left ear. Her chin. Finally, a corner of her mouth.

And that was the limit for her.

“Oh, forget it.” Lucy groaned and grabbed his nape, then brought his face to herself and kissed his lips. They fused together, breathing heavily and pressing against each other. The desperation in their moves was unexpected, yet so amazing. She loved how he reacted to her timid caresses, how his chest rumbled, or when—oh, when he did exactly what he was doing at the moment with his tongue. However, Sting groaned out of the blue and broke the kiss. He was not ready to move away, though, so he leaned ahead, touching her forehead with his own. Meanwhile, Lucy stressed over the fact he was hurting. “I didn’t want to cause you pain! S-sorry!”

“Don’t even try apologizing.” He murmured, his eyes closed. “It’s working better than aspirin.”

“I really don’t think so.” Heartfilia giggled, but her smile fell soon. She took a step back. “Alright. I won’t be bothering you any longer. Dress up, the girls are coming, and you’re not receiving them only in a T-shirt. Wear a jacket or a sweatshirt.”

“Hurray…” Sting uttered with annoyance and crossed his arms.

“And don’t let Angel get all over you.”

“That’ll never happen!”

She sighed and looked around one more time. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Hey, lovebirds!” Ryos’ voice came through the door and the couple exchanged a look. “The girls are coming!”

“Shit, shit! I didn’t want to— I don’t want to see Sorano.” Lucy looked scared, her eyes wide.

“Relax. She won’t do anything.” Sting reassured her. “I’m with you. And Rogue is also on your side.”

“Still! Uh, okay, lemme grab my shoes and I’m gone.”

“I don’t want you gone…” Sting, who approached her again, whispered into her ear, causing goosebumps to crawl on her skin. She blushed.

“I can’t stay. You know that.” She caressed his cheek, making him sigh.

“I know, I know. Let’s go, then.”

He let her go and walked her to the hall. Ryos was already there. They both watched as she was hurriedly dressing up, her distress obvious. Finally, Lucy straightened her back and smiled at the men.

“Thank you for letting me stay over. Sting, you’re still sick and just because you have lower fever doesn’t mean you’re alright. I know that, in comparison to having 41 degrees you feel amazing, but _please_ , don’t overdo it. Ryos, it was great to get to know you a little. I hope we can talk more next time! Take care of him… And of yourself. Well, then. See you, guys!”

Bracing herself for the meeting with Sorano, Lucy opened the door…

Just to stand face to face with Angel.

She made a poker face and stared back into her cold and now angry eyes. Lucy raised her head high and passed by, nodding only at Yukino, who greeted her on her own. The blonde continued going down the stairs, and when she was sure that they went inside, she ran out of the staircase, panting, and by no means from the exercise.

She had a dreadful feeling that only now would Angel show her horns of a devil.

 


	15. Don't conceal, just feel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos, bookmarks and everything! Love you, enjoy~

December came with snow and coldness. Also, it brought a rapidly approaching deadline with itself, although Lucy and Sting had yet to realize that fact. After all, they had a lot on their minds, like their newfound relationship. It had been another week since she had first visited Sting during his sickness. Angel had not done anything yet, calming the woman significantly. Still, at the back of her head she knew the whitehead was preparing something dreadful, something she would not like. Nonetheless, it was hard to worry over it when her head was full of her new boyfriend. They had been meeting every day, developing their relationship and, when he was well enough, working on the project. The only day they had not seen each other was the current one. Maybe that was why Lucy was laying in her bed, absolutely not eager to fall asleep. She had been tossing on the sheets, trying to find the right place and position to find some rest. Obviously, with no success. All due to emotions raging within her.

 It was ridiculous, if you thought about it. She was not a high school girl in love with a senior, for God’s sake. And yet, her head was spinning and her insides were twisting whenever she thought about Sting. Every time she was closing her eyes, she was seeing his face. Her mind was full of his words, of his smiles and most pleasant memories. There was much more than simple attraction and simple affection. Obviously. Did she really pass through falling in love so quickly, did she already love the man?

 Apprehension filled her. If yes, how would he react? She had been acting like a total jackass for a long time, and suddenly that. What if he lost interest? What if she was just a little too late?

 Under an abrupt urge to talk to Sting, she grabbed her cell phone and unlocked it. She found his number almost subconsciously and opened the texts… But wait. It was not wise to write to him, was it? They did not exactly keep in touch all day and night, longing for each other’s constant company. Lucy locked her phone and grimaced. It _was_ after midnight... But they did not see each other that day. Okay, what was the worst that could happen? He would not reply. He might be sleeping. But! Maybe he was _not_ asleep yet. And if so, maybe he would be up for a little escapade over to hers.

 “Ugh, pathetic!” Lucy scolded herself. “Just text him and be done with it.”

 Thus, she typed before she could change her mind:

  _Are you asleep?_

 The text was send and the woman almost stopped breathing from anxiety. He really could be sleeping already, after all, the next day they had classes in the morning. Still, maybe she should wait—

 As she was living through her inner turmoil, her cell vibrated and she quickly opened the message.

  _No, not yet. Is everything fine?_

 “Yes!” Lucy squealed, excited.

  _I guess... Can't sleep._

  _And this is why you're writing me? Well, that's nice._

Lucy smiled. _And whom would I write?_

_Fair point. Why can’t you sleep, anyway? You sure everything’s okay?_

  _If I told you why, you wouldn't believe me._

 And she knew she was right. How was she supposed to tell him she loved him, though? Well, it was not a thing to casually say through a phone call anyway… Lucy bit her lip. Her answer surely had provoked him to consider the situation, and he would probably ask more about it. And, truthfully, she really did not want to make up any lie. He had had enough of it in the past. Not to mention, he deserved the truth.

  _Oh? Try me._

 “Oh, you’re on.” She shook her head before typing _._

_It's because of you._

That time, Sting took a while longer to reply; she thought he was either writing an essay or stalling so that she could add anything; however, when it came, his response consisted of just one word.

  _Me?_

She rolled her eyes. Of course he was just prompting her to elaborate. Lucy smirked. And elaborate she would.

  _All of the sudden, I can't stop thinking about you._

She wished she could see his face. His expression had to be priceless! The woman did not have time to muse over the matter, for she blinked only once before his answer was there.

  _Lucy... What do you mean?_

Heartfilia blushed. She could almost see him, his eyes widened and his expression hopeful, his hands reaching for her, to hold her close or, better, to hold her chin, preventing her from turning away from his burning sight. Lucy sighed. Confession was on the way, although she was not sure what he would do about it at that hour.

  _I close my eyes and I see your face. You’re more than tactile right now inside of my mind. I can't help but get excited. I am a bundle of nerves when I'm writing with you now, because I care too much not to give a damn about what you think of me. I want you to touch me, to kiss me, to feel me… For the last three hours I was trying to fall asleep, but the falling went the other way…_

  _That’s it. I'm calling._

 Lucy gasped and tried to type a reply with a request that he would not do that, but he was already calling. Her insides twisted and, with a tight throat, she accepted the call.

 "Sting." She answered softly, biting on her finger.

 "Lucy…" Sting's voice was hoarse. "Falling went the other way… Have I caught it right?"

 "I-I think so. Yes."

 "So, it’s not only me anymore?"

 "Visibly." She whispered, sighing again. "How could I not fall for you? You're such a great guy."

 "You think? Well then. Look at that, I’ve been a goner for a loooong time already. You're better at this game, apparently.” Sting chuckled, making her giggle, too. Then, he added seriously. “But listen, if you're feeling strange with all those emotions, just know that I'm ten times worse. I already have feelings for you, and after your text… I’m giddy from excitement. Especially that you’ve just told me that you’re also… Um… Also…"

 Lucy giggled and shifted, changing the topic a little. "Sting… I'm glad to hear you."

 "I'm happy to hear your voice, too." Eucliffe said tenderly after a moment. "I've actually missed you today."

 "I have, too. You, I mean."

 "I know." He chuckled. "But since we’re already on the phone, tell me more, if you don’t mind. What are you feeling now?"

 "I, I'm, like, ecstatic and I feel like flying, but at the same time have a lump in my throat and butterflies in my belly, and... Um, never mind." Lucy confessed sincerely.

 Sting seemed to be taken aback by the honesty, but quickly collected himself. "A-and?"

 "Nothing."

 "What, are you getting wet?" The man joked. Lucy blushed and fell silent; upon not hearing her answer, he swore. "Damn, sorry. But… Oh God. Really?"

 "Sting… I think we both know that I’ve wanted you, too, for a while… So is that really so surprising?" Then, she groaned and admitted: “I can’t believe I just said it. I’m mortified. Shit.”

 He sucked the air sharply in and cleared his throat. "You want me to come over? Not for sex, just to talk about it all, spend time together."

 "You know what? You could. But isn't it too late? Would that be a problem?" Lucy bit her lip and glanced at the hour.

 "I don't care. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

 "Okay. And Sting?”

 “Yes?”

 “Be safe on your way."

 "Always am." Eucliffe chuckled and hung up.

 Lucy put her phone down, turned on her belly, and squealed into her pillow. "He's coming!!!"

* * *

 

 Indeed, fifteen minutes later, Sting knocked on her door. Immediately, Lucy went to open up, smiling. She did not even care that she was in her pajamas, which consisted of panties and a crop top.

 "Hey." She said softly right when she saw him. Her reason flew out of the window when he smiled charmingly at her.

 "Hi." Sting stepped in and stopped in front of her to brush her hair behind her ear. His sight was full of tenderness. "Do you mind if I kiss you?"

 Lucy shook her head with disbelief and slowly embraced his waist. Sting’s breath hitched when he hugged her back and then lifted her chin to share a kiss. She felt her heart jump and gasped when they joined their lips, moving in synch. Sting purred and licked her, asking for permission to go for a French kiss. Lucy unhurriedly gave him access, which he quickly used and slid his tongue along hers. She hummed shortly and tried to mimic his moves. She was not sure how it all escalated that quickly, but she did not mind.

 "Sting." She panted out loud when they were changing the angle. He stopped and looked at her, his eyes hazy. Lucy smiled and caressed his face. "Let's move from the hall, shall we?"

 "Sure."

 The man took her hand and led her to the living room, sitting down on the sofa and bringing her down with himself. Lucy giggled, holding his hand. She stared at him and, enchanted, began to slide her fingertips along his fingers and knuckles. She blinked and realized he was staring at her hungrily. Blush colored her face, but she did not turn her head away.

 "Thank you for coming." Lucy said softly, delicately scratching his wrist.

 "Thanks for inviting me over." Sting grinned. "Actually, I love the fact you allowed me to come."

 "Why wouldn’t I?”

 “I don’t know, maybe because I’ll be spending the night?”

 “Well… I trust you, so there’s no harm.” She blushed and looked down, suddenly shy. “Besides, I really wanted to see you.”

 Sting did not answer; instead, he raised their joined hands and gave the back of her hand a kiss. Then, he led them to his chest. Lucy watched as he let go, turned her palm, and laid it over his heart. She felt it beating fast and hard. She flushed and gazed back at him, melting under his sight.

 “It’s beating like this for you. Only you, Lucy.”

 “Sting…” She shivered and, if she could, she would turn into a puddle at the very moment. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she kept quiet. She could not bring herself to offer him to _feel_ her heart for himself, even though she wanted to. So maybe she should…? But, before she decided, he beat her to it.

 “Can I check yours?”

 “B-but I’m not wearing any bra…” Lucy whispered.

 Sting closed his eyes for a moment, budging. Then, he said hoarsely: “I already _know_ you.”

 “R-right… Fine…”

 He reached out to her and, before he went for her chest, his fingers brushed her left cheek and lips. Lucy shivered and emitted a long breath. Sting smiled and reached lower; he lifted her breast, then placed his palm right under it, more or less where her heart was. Lucy felt her face boil and her heart raced even more. Sting chuckled and scooted closer.

 “Now I know everything, Lu.”

 “S-shut up!”

 “Anyway, tell me… Why only now?”

 “How would I know? I, I guess I could not deny it any longer.”

 “At last you realized.” He snorted.

 “Hmpf. It’s not that easy for me, Sting.” She frowned. “I really believed I would never fall in love with anyone. Hell, I was fighting not to.”

 “I wish you told me why. Maybe I’d be able to help you.” Sting sighed, caressing her leg.

 “One day, I promise.” Lucy breathed and came closer, hugging him. “I’m glad you’re so patient. Thank you.”

 “Yeah, imagine I’m just as surprised.” Eucliffe chuckled, earning a hit on the side. “Ouch! Don’t go punching me, woman. It’s a good thing!”

 “Oh yeah?”

 “Yeah. It means I must really care for you.”

 The blondes were talking till morning, completely not eager to go to sleep; Lucy was more than delighted to have him beside. Also, after their conversation turned more emotional, they spent much time exploring each other, teaching the other what they liked best. Which, as Sting commented when they both were trying to catch their breaths, delighted him to no end, that she had no more problems with making out with him.

 At last, when the yawning became unbearable, she prepared sheets for him. He insisted he would sleep on the sofa. Having told him goodnight, she passed to her bedroom, where she fell on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

 Still, after a while, she woke up to hear the door open and Sting sneak in. She smiled when he laid down next to her and gently embraced her waist, hugging her. Lucy knew very well that he would not hurt her. He would never do anything against her will. Thus, she turned to him and threw a part of the sheet over his body. Satisfied, she snuggled closer to him and he secured his arm around her again. And that was all she had ever dreamed of.

* * *

 

_A few days later_

 On their posing day, Sting arrived extremely cold and wet. Lucy, who was worried he would be sick again, set water for tea and gave him a blanket. They were talking on her couch, waiting for the water to boil. She listened as Sting was telling her how he ended up completely soaked.

 "Yeah, so I started winning the snowball fight, and suddenly: BAM! I landed in the melting snow, you know. Those kids simply pushed me off their way!" The man exclaimed, shivering slightly.

 "Gosh, that's terrible." Lucy grimaced.

 "I know, right? But hey, I think that I got one of them later on."

 The couple laughed and Lucy came closer to the man. She felt so good with him on her side, so free to be reckless, happy, attractive. He made her open up, not only to himself, but also to the world again. And she was extremely grateful for that.

 "Lucy…" Suddenly, Sting cleared his throat.

 "Mhm?"

 "I know what can get me warm again." He said slowly.

 "What is it? I'll help!"

 "Well, it won't work without you. In fact, it's all about you." Sting smirked and clicked his tongue. "Get under the blanket with me. Please."

 “Sure, make room for me.”

 But when she started to crawl under the blanket next to him, he tutted. “No. I mean… Sit on my lap. _You_ ’ll keep me warm.”

 The woman froze, stunned. Was he for real? "B-but…"

 "Come on, we're both clothed. I just want to get warm."

 "Do you really?" Heartfilia eyed him suspiciously.

 "Whatever it takes." He grinned and reminded her gently: "You volunteered."

 Lucy bit her lip, but sighed and nodded. The man’s smile widened and he opened the blanket pupa, letting her slide under it. She sat on his lap, her legs turned to one side. When she was close enough for his liking, his arms closed around her, along with the fabric. She was looking so fragile, so unsure of herself… Nonetheless, she came willingly. Sting sighed and hugged her figure, enjoying her warmth.

 "Better. So much better."

 The woman said nothing, only hid her face in the crook of his neck. Finally, she parted her lips a little and sighed quietly, half-lidding her eyes. She felt comfortable and safe now. Sting’s scent and closeness had that effect on her, she noticed. So, in gratitude, she kissed his neck gently. He did not expect such a bold move, so he jerked a little before asking:

 "Hey, baby girl… What's on your mind?"

 "You." She confessed sincerely, flushing. "I can’t keep away from you. Frankly, I don't want to try anymore."

 "So don’t. I don’t want you to keep your distance from me, of all people."

 "I won’t. I—"

 But before she could finish, the man planted his hands on her shoulders and shifted her so that he could stare at her. A moment of silence embraced them, neither was willing to break it. At last, he closed the distance and kissed her lips tenderly. Passion and want were obvious in his caress, petting her both mentally and physically. Lucy hummed and retuned the kiss almost immediately, loving his taste and eager mouth. Before she knew it, she was sitting even closer to him, hugging his neck and pressing herself to his front. Maybe it was out of character for her, but she could not stop, euphoria overwhelming her. She had to be closer. She had to touch him. She had to grasp as much of him as humanly possible. The feeling was consuming…

 Until the kettle started to whistle and they broke away, gazing at each other with toe-curling intensity.

 "Don't go." Sting whispered and pecked her lips.

 "But your tea?"

 "I have something better now."

 Lucy grinned and kissed him again, that that time taking the lead. Brushing his hair with her nails, scratching his scalp made him hum in approval, and he automatically moved against her. Lucy moaned, and it made Sting all the more brave. His hands began making wide circles around her back and sides, learning her curves with precision. Having realized he would not be punished, Sting grunted and passed to her front gently. His palm first embraced, then squeezed her right breast. Lucy wiggled on him, encouraging his caresses. It felt _right_ with him; yet, the position she had taken was beginning to be uncomfortable. Oh, how she wished she had straddled the man right away! But it still felt magical, being like that with him, special. When he broke away to allow them a breath, she quickly dived under his chin; her mouth devoured his skin, teasing his Adam’s apple and leaving a few hickeys along the column. Eucliffe was gobsmacked, breathing heavily. Almost unconsciously, Lucy transferred up to his mouth again and kissed him avidly.

 "Sting…" The woman sighed, not entirely breaking the smooch, but keeping her lips against his. She had her eyes closed, so she could not know he had opened his and was staring at her from the short distance with tenderness and lust. Before she spoke her mind, though, she kissed him again, smiling. "Mm… I love your taste."

 Suddenly, Lucy snapped her eyes open and blushed scarlet. Oh God. Had she really told him that?! What an embarrassment, it was supposed to stay in her thoughts! What would he think about her?

 Nevertheless, Sting smirked and pecked her lips before he answered. "That was one of the hottest things I've ever heard."

 "What?" She blinked, stopping her internal fuss.

 "Honest. Lucy, I'm absolutely delighted." He laughed. "You, my little lady, told me how you feel and what you think. You opened up. And you’re pushing your own limits. I love it.” There, he made a pause. “God, this sure is strange, to be talking to you like this. I've already learned that I shouldn't do that… Yet, you keep provoking me, making me question everything I believed to be right around you. Ever since the club encounter. Have you noticed?"

 "But before it wasn't deliberate…" She started slowly.

 "And now?"

 Lucy stared into his eyes, then shifted. She was straddling him now, then boldly sat down on his groin, still gazing at him provocatively. "Now, I do it all on purpose."

 "Little devil girl." Sting spat, feeling her weight on his hard on. "You know exactly what you're doing."

 Heartfilia shrugged innocently and winked. That was enough for him to capture her lips again. She moaned and shifted on him suggestively. Oh, she knew it would excite him more—after all, she could already _feel_ him. In response, Sting nipped on her lower lip, seeking entrance. He had to distract himself from her fortunate, but so _un_ fortunate position. She teased him a little, not relenting right away; at last, Lucy opened her mouth. His tongue crept between her lips, exploring, and then slowly slid along hers. She moaned and dug her nails into his arms. Sting shivered and adjusted the woman on himself, and the couple continued French-kissing.

 When they became short of breath, Lucy pulled away with a dreamy smile. She sighed, to which Sting cocked a brow at her. But she only shook her head and began to untangle herself from the blanket and from his arms. He grunted and tried to catch her. Yet, she frowned and escaped easily.

 "I must turn off the kettle. It's still whistling."

 The man rolled his eyes, but nodded and brushed his hair with one hand. Lucy smiled and walked away to the kitchen. There was much steam there, thus she quickly turned off the cooker and waved her hand around, intending to make the thick air dissolve faster. Seeing that it was pointless, she took two cups and made some tea. Then she returned to the room where her friend, her boyfriend, her savior, and her love was.

 "Here you are."

 "I still preferred you on me." Sting grinned and licked his lips.

 "Well... Can’t say I minded. Anyway, when I entered the kitchen, it was so hot and steamy there... Sting, I really wanna do a sauna meeting."

 The man laughed at her expression and motioned her to come closer. She did and he threw one arm around her. "Of course, baby. I really want to see you naked, all sweaty and flushed."

 "Is this the only thing you can think of when I'm around?" Lucy puffed her cheeks. She knew he was only kidding, still, did he really have to make all those jokes?

 "Nope. I have some other ideas." Sting pecked her forehead and breathed her in.

 "Somehow I don't doubt it." She muttered. "Fine, then, can I leave you here and prepare the sauna?"

 "No. I want you with me. When I drink the tea, we'll do it together." He offered, earning a nod and a blush. He swallowed another salve of laughter and sat Lucy down on his lap again, then put his hands right above her buttocks. "We can also continue with our little make out session."

 Lucy smiled widely and they went on with the caresses and kisses.

 When the man dealt with his hot drink, they stood up and moved to prepare everything. She instructed him to bring some water and turn on the heater. Then, she went to grab the towels. Now, she deliberately chose the tightest and the most fluffy ones. After all, they would be of great use later on... She smirked. If everything went according to plan.

 "Baby, can you tell me how to turn on the whole machinery?"

 "Yeah, just wait a sec." Lucy answered before hurrying to Sting. She swiftly went around him and pushed the right buttons. "See, it's not that complicated."

 "Are you offending me?" He grinned.

 "Not at all." She caresses his cheek and entered the sauna, then put down the towels on the two benches. She regretted that it was such a small place—she had no possibility of laying down with Sting. Well, but sitting was another option, and she would definitely use it.

 The blonde went out. She smiled innocently at the man before she strolled to a drawer with medicine; there, she encountered a small square packet. Hesitantly, she took it out an did in her hand. If she did not chicken out, and the mood would go the right way… it would be much needed.

 Finally, Lucy took a deep breath to calm herself. She was nervous—it had been a long while, but her heart was telling her to trust Sting Eucliffe and take a risk.


	16. Together at Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter focuses on a sexual intercourse between the protagonists. Since Lucy is the way she is, I did not make it overly rough or anything, but still, sex is sex. If you're sensitive to that kind of scenes, you've been warned.
> 
> And now, enjoy~
> 
> And thank you all for all the love I'm getting <3

Having stored the condom under a lamp on the night table in the bedroom, Lucy took the man out of the sauna to let it warm up slowly. Meanwhile, the blondes decided to spend their time posing again; they both agreed that they should catch up on the job a little. Not so surprisingly, all of their latest meetings were spent exploring other sectors of life, not necessarily arts.

But who could blame them?

Fortunately, after inspecting the projects, it turned out they were not overly behind. Due to the previous dutifulness, it would not be too difficult to catch up. Once they discussed the new plan and agreed they should finish the project till mid-January, Lucy started to take her clothes off. Since her mind was already made up and she decided to execute her plan before she changed her mind, she took her time to undress. The fabric was siding slowly off her skin, causing goosebumps to cover her body. Having placed her last piece of cloth on a chair, Lucy caught a glimpse of Sting, who was watching her with furrowed in confusion brows. She smiled slowly and strolled to take her position, swaying her hips suggestively. Still confused over what she was playing at, he instructed her to take the right pose. However, she could not really stand as he wanted her to. Lucy hoped it was not too obvious that she was doing in all on purpose. Her heart rate increased when he stood up and approached her, his expression tentative.

"Can I position you?" He said in a low voice, which made her shiver visibly.

"Yeah." Was a quiet answer.

So, he gulped and gently, slowly, lowered himself to his knees. Crap, he could smell her arousal when his face stopped right next to her hips. Still, he only placed his hand under her right knee. Her skin was just as soft as he expected. The man prayed he had not misread the signals and that Lucy _was_ trying to seduce him. He was barely standing still, barely controlling himself. It seemed like ages ever since he had started dreaming about her, and there she was, subtly testing the grounds. Thus, he would give her what she wanted. What they both craved. But not before teasing her a while; she had been doing just that for the past weeks. Upon planning what he was about to do, Sting swallowed hard and led his palm up her skin, brushing the inner side of her leg until he stopped almost at its end. There, he could feel her wetness and felt his throat go dry. Sting slid his hand between her thighs, almost touching her core, and gently pushed them apart to create a bigger gap. A few droplets slid slowly from her pussy. He tried to control his natural reaction, but failed miserably; he was so incredibly excited that he was trembling. He cleared his throat, just to utter:

"Like this."

His voice was so hoarse. Lucy, who was shivering like a leaf when he touched her, gasped for air. She could not stop it anymore, even though she felt embarrassment when the sound left her mouth. She wanted him so bad. It was her decision to seduce the man, and, since he was an intelligent guy, he caught on pretty fast. She was so turned on that she did not even consider getting cold feet. The way he made her feel was far too good to quit. He was making her crazy from desire, burning, wishing he could just lose himself and take her right there and then—something she had doubted she would ever feel towards someone. And there she was, on the verge of throwing herself at him, oh, if only he wandered a little higher with his fingers! She could feel herself flow and was sure he saw that, too… So maybe he would do something about it already?

But Sting did not. God knows it cost him every single millimeter of self-control, but he did not take advantage of the situation… yet. Instead, he rose to his feet and stood right behind her. His breath fanned over her left ear and cheek. He knew if he moved, she would feel the bulge in his trousers against her back. Now, that would feel good… No! He shook his head, he could not lose his focus. Refusing to budge even a little, he skated his fingers up along her bare back, sensually, unhurriedly. Lucy shuddered, her skin covered in goosebumps, and wondered how long she would be able to remain standing.

"You're responsive today." He noted in a murmur, tickling her earlobe. She moaned.

"Do you mind?" Heartfilia rasped, humming when his hands grabbed her shoulders to place them right.

"God, no."

"Tell me, Sting…" She whimpered when his fingers skated along her arm in a feather like touch, bringing it to the right height. "Are you teasing me?"

"Of course I am." Sting chuckled darkly and stepped around her. Then, he stopped right in front of her and he looked her in the eyes deeply. Unable to avert her sight, Lucy was losing herself in the sea of lust, tension, desire, love, and millions of other emotions she could not simply define by words and that were visible in his orbs. Meanwhile, his hands appeared to lose their purpose and wandered aimlessly around her neck and face, tactfully not passing any lower. Which, for the record, she did not appreciate for the first time since they had met. When he gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, the woman could not contain a sigh and hugged her cheek into the inside of his manly hand. Making a quick decision, Lucy turned her face towards his palm. Maintaining the eye contact, she caught his thumb between her lips and teeth. She then slowly moved her head to slide it out from her mouth, biting on it a few times gently. Sting’s eyes became clouded and gained another shade of darkness; a deep growl broke free from his throat. Yet, he blinked, took his hand away and narrowed his brows. He said in the lowest voice she had ever heard him use: “If you move again, you’re working alone.”

"No!" Lucy blushed crimson and froze, letting his hands position her head anew.

"Good girl." Eucliffe grinned, though it was strained. Finally, she was ready for posing. He took a step back and gazed at his doing with sheer desire. "Fucking lovely."

"Sting…" Her eyes wandered low to his groin and she repressed a smirk when she saw him on full alert.

If he noticed, he did not let it show. "Stay. And pose."

Thus, she did. Shivering, excited, anticipating, burning inside, but obedient. She could hear his steps, then the pencil skating on the paper, halting from time to time. The shuffling of his feet at one place. She heard his heavy breath piercing the silence, shallow and uneven. It was almost torturous to stay motionless and reactionless. Thus, Lucy decided to change that. It was the limit for her. No more denying her desires and needs, emotions, thoughts. Not when her whole being was desperate for him.

“Sting?”

“Yes?”

She waited a moment to let her voice drop. “Are you done with being a tease?”

Eucliffe stopped moving, taking a moment before he said hoarsely: “Why?”

Lucy started heaving. She could do this. She could.

And she would.

“How about we take it farther?”

Suddenly, Sting seemed to drop the utensils he was holding. She blinked, surprised, before she heard quick steps coming her way. She emitted a ragged exhale and, smiling slightly, turned around to throw herself right into his open arms. She was trembling all over, but for once not from fear.

"I simply can't stand it! I can’t focus when you’re standing here, naked. You minx, you keep provoking me! You’re making me fucking lose my mind!" Sting rasped and kissed her hard. Lucy pressed herself against his front. She did not care about her state of clothing, not when he was about to get just as nude. She kissed him back feverishly, feeling him embrace her; his greedy hands did not rest until they reached her ass. She moaned when he groped her shamelessly.

The woman began unbuttoning his shirt impatiently, trying to get rid of it as soon as possible. Seeing her frustration, Sting chuckled and helped her by ripping it off himself. Satisfied, she tugged on his belt; the fly was unzipped within a second and his pants went down, leaving him only in boxers. She eyed him hungrily and blushed. Gosh, was he amazing… She put her hands on his chest timidly and slowly, shyly traced every muscle, every line there, passing through his shoulders, stomach, then wandered down for a brief second to stroke his V-line—until she chickened out and brought her palms back up. Sting emitted a ragged breath, betraying how much he needed her to touch him.

"Sorry, I need a moment before… You know." Lucy giggled, embarrassed, glimpsing at his ample groin. Her nails scratched his nipples, making the man jerk.

"It’s fine." He told her huskily, his eyes dark from want. "Wait as long as you need. Though I can’t say I’ll be patient much longer. Not with you glued to me like that. Lucy, I—"

But she did not let him finish for she kissed him again and, while swirling her tongue around his, she pulled down his boxers in one decided move. After this, Lucy hesitated. _Is it too fast? What the hell am I doing…_ But Sting’s groan and his hands massaging her butt cheeks showed otherwise. Still, a certain level of uncertainty lingered. She had never had a chance to touch him before; she only had seen him regularly… From a safe distance. Thus, she gently and slowly came closer, pressing herself against his front. She shivered, feeling his hot skin on hers. Meanwhile, Sting breathed shakily, but did not let himself do anything. Even though his sole attention was caught by her tits on his stomach. At least before she kissed his chest and let out a nervous pant.

“C-can I… T-touch, um, touch you?” Lucy stuttered out, burying her face in his torso.

Sting gulped. His reason flew out of the window; she was asking whether she could touch his dick. Heavens help him, it was so sexy he almost jumped on her. Still, for her sake, tried to respond calmly, not as though he was begging. Yet, his voice was strained. “Y-yes.”

Having his consent, she backed away slightly. Not averting her eyes from his face, she took him in her palm, delicately, as if he was made of china. Sting twitched and groaned. Fascinated, she began stroking his cock, watching his reaction. He seemed to like it even better whenever she tightened her grip at his end or base. Heartfilia swallowed; she enjoyed pleasuring him more than she cared to admit. It was so satisfying, to have that effect on the man… Suddenly, Sting gasped and thrust into her fist.

Lucy broke the eye contact and gazed down bravely, watching herself doing a hand job on him. His erection was impressive, and she enjoyed the view of the skin moving along with her hand. The tip of his head began weeping and she smeared the precum first around his head, then down his length. Yet, before she could try something more, Sting removed her hand from himself with a grimace.

“Sorry, Lu, but I don’t want to cum yet.” He hissed out.

She nodded bashfully and sighed, rubbing her thighs against each other. The man noticed and did not allow her to remain mistreated any longer. Smirking mischievously, he lifted her with ease. Almost instinctually, Lucy yelped and quickly entangled her legs around his waist in fear of falling. Sting got to the closest wall and pressed the woman’s back against it. He was panting, feeling her wet pussy pressed against his abdomen. Sting braced his forehead on hers and listened to her moan at the feeling of being trapped between the cold wall and his hot body. With a grunt, he grabbed her ass and managed to put his shaft under her. A growl broke out from his throat when he slid along her wet folds, soaking himself in her juices.

But he refrained from doing anything else. And Lucy knew she had to speak up to clear all the possible doubts. So, shakily and with a voice full of lust, she begged throatily:

"Please, be gentle with me. But I need you so, so much!"

He closed his eyes for a moment, summoning all of his willpower to not sink into her at the very moment. He had to be positive she wanted it, for real. "Fuck… Are you sure you’re ready?"

"Yes, Sting!" She whined and made a circle with her hips. The man gulped, forgetting another question he had. "Can't you see?"

"Then I think you need some good stretching before I enter you." Sting told her through gritted teeth, full of conflicted emotions; a part of him cared about her comfort more than anything. The other, though, was already imagining nothing else but her naked body stretched under him while he was working on her and taking her places she had never known before. "Damn…"

"Just… Ah, mmm, don't hurt me. Please." Lucy whispered, suddenly teary.

"Trust me."

With that, he captured her lips and reduced any gap left between their bodies, walking into her more and pressing her back against the wall in a more aggressive way. She cried into his mouth and thrust her hips ahead, sliding him along her slit with a mewl. Strange. She did not fear him anymore. Nor the things he would be doing to her. She simply craved it. Craved him. Craved him inside of her. Especially if he were to kiss her like _that_. Lucy purred. It was nothing like any other they had shared, leading her to heaven itself. Doing things to her she had never imagined, she was beginning to lose herself, lose her mind. She hummed and rubbed on him again, that time earning an accidental prod at her entrance. They both groaned in frustration. But suddenly, everything ended; Lucy looked at him with reproach, making him emit the most arousing chuckle she had ever heard.

"Lucy, have you ever had sex?" Sting asked lowly. She budged and, looking away, murmured something incomprehensible. He frowned. "Can you repeat that?"

"I, I, um, well… The truth is that not voluntarily."

Even though it was a whisper, he froze as if she had yelled at him. Eucliffe was staring at her dumbstruck, shocked. Then, the wall behind her back disappeared and Sting carried her to her own bedroom. Next, he lied her down on the bed gently.

“Maybe we should stop and—”

“No!” The woman exclaimed. “No, no. Let’s continue. Please!”

"Then let’s start again." The man told her, caressing her legs and chest to keep her turned on. "I want you to be fully comfortable with me. Don’t you even think about forcing yourself to do something you’re not okay with. Tell me every single thing. Okay? I won’t do anything that makes you feel bad. I swear."

"I trust you, Sting." Lucy said timorously, cupping his cheek. "I want to do it, because it's with you… I know you will take care of me."

Touched, Sting bent down and connected his lips with her neck. He sucked on the sensitive skin, leaving a mark, then another and another. She was breathing deeply, her eyes half-lidded. Once he was satisfied with the result, he passed to her chest, humming.

"I know you like when I touch you here, don't you?" Sting chuckled darkly. "Damn, you’re so beautiful."

Lucy shifted, impatient. She was still incredibly excited, but understood why the man slowed down. So, when he grabbed her boobs and massaged them, teasing her nipples with his thumbs, she arched her back and opened her mouth widely, emitting a long sigh. Sting smirked and boldly took one of her tits into his mouth—just to catch it between his teeth and bite on it.

"Shit!" The woman gasped.

His mouthed continued the assault on her breasts, but his right hand glided down. He dragged his finger along her sex and stroked her. She was so warm, so wet, and his throat went dry again.

"Lucy," Sting rasped. "I'm gonna finger you now."

"Mhm!" She panted.

His hand cupped her from the front, parting her folds. Teasing her opening, he slowly buried two fingers inside, making the woman stiffen. Upon noticing that, Sting comforted his girlfriend softly, reassuring her. Once she calmed down a little, he partly took the fingers out, then sunk them inside her again. He was mindful of her reactions, but so far she seemed more than fine.

"Is that okay?" He asked her.

"Y-yeah…" Lucy managed to mewl, then cleared her throat and sent him a hazy look. "But I'm a bad girlfriend. If you sit down next to me, I will pump you, too."

Sting could feel his pride pulsate. "But you're—"

"Sting, please. Come closer."

Unable to refuse, he scooted to her and kneeled at her left, his hand still down on her. Meanwhile, Lucy gazed at his standing length with curiosity. She reached out to take his member into her hand once more and stroked it slowly, as fascinated as for the first time.

Despite his initial doubts, the little trade turned out better than he had expected. The woman was increasingly more straightforward and was experimenting with the pace and the grip. At some point, Sting could not help but rasp. "You're doing great."

"Mm, Stinggg…" Lucy moaned. He scissored her, testing the stretching capability, at the same time thumbing her clit. She whimpered and the man slowed down.

"What? Too much?" He was worried and tried to take his hand away, but she caught it and sent him a lustful, pleading look.

"No! Don't stop."

Sting grinned and was teasingly rolled her clit between his index finger and his thumb. She cried and jumped, sending a mini glare at the man. He only smirked, but it quickly disappeared behind a gasp when Lucy reached lower to his balls and palmed them. He realized he had to change his antics since he was not far from exploding in her hand. And the woman seemed to endure his fingering very well. So, with regret, Sting pulled his fingers out and caught her arm with the other hand, preventing her from stroking his cock further. "Enough."

"D-do you think you'll— um, fit?" She asked bashfully.

"Positive." He stated throatily and, tentatively, hovered above her. His eyes scanned her body, and his shaft twitched. He kneeled over her thighs and inhaled shakily. “Uh, I had a safe in my pants, but they’re in the living room… Do you have a—?”

“Under the lamp.” Lucy panted, suddenly out of breath.

Sting nodded curtly and reached out, moving the lamp to the side. He grabbed the condom and ripped the packet. He slipped the safe on and sighed. He _so_ needed to bury himself in her, but he also _so_ needed to keep his cool due to her anxiety. The thought made him regain some control; he scrutinized her. Lucy was heaving, her skin in goosebumps. Her limbs were quivering, especially when Sting caressed her inner thighs and gently parted them to place his knees between her legs. His eyes slid onto her sex and he had to swallow hard at the sight of her revealed like that. With difficulty, he managed to look up. Her nipples were hard, but she seemed jittery. So, the man smiled reassuringly and caressed her abdomen. "Hey, it's all fine. I won't hurt you, love. Ever."

"Sting…" She sighed with distress. Lucy seemed on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry I'm such a terrible lover."

"What are you talking about? You are amazing." The blonde winked and caught her under her knees. He calmly pulled her on the bed, closer to himself. "Okay. Before anything… Gimme a pillow."

“What?”

“A pillow. To put under your loins.” He hummed sensually. “That way, you won’t have to bent your ass too much. You’ll be much more comfortable.”

She nodded, affection filling her. He was so caring, even then. She reached back and grabbed the first pillow her fingers encountered, then passed it to him. The woman lifted her hips and he placed the pillow under them.

“Alright. Now, relax.”

Lucy was full of dread, but she tried so hard. She could see his expression, full of focus. How his knitted brows formed a small crinkle between them. Sting parted her legs widely, angled her center so that she would be comfortable when he filled her, and took his member to slide its head along her slit. His face twisted in pleasure and he prodded at her center. She cried meekly and… Could not. She squinted her eyes and forcefully closed the access, bringing her knees to her chest; accidentally, she hit his cock with some part of her leg. Sting swore in pain and exhaled heavily, breaking free from between her clasped thighs.

“Lucy… Lu… Shh…” He murmured, trying not to show he got hurt. She was more important now. “Hey, hey. Look at me.” She shook her head. “Baby, look at me.” His calm voice seemed to convince her. Slowly, her eyelids parted and her full of tears brown eyes were pointed straight at him. His heart breaking, Sting leaned in and caressed her shins, then her feet. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I’m the worst, I’ve led us to this moment and— I’m terrible.” She sobbed.

“Come on, if you want to stop—”

“No. I want it, want _you_ , but— The shadows…” Heartfilia shook her head, clearly petrified.

“Okay. Look at me, please.” Sting was serious; when she looked into his eyes, he captured her gaze and held it. “Don’t look away. Trust me. I’m not your past. I am the present. Look at me and focus on the trust. On me, Lucy.”

To his relief, she nodded and cautiously, bit by bit parted her legs again, placing them around his hips. He helped her find the right position for her butt again and gave a shuddering sigh. Lucy felt incredibly selfish, knowing he was so frustrated. Oh God, he was so thoughtful. And was considerate enough to calm her down, to tolerate her idiocy. And, there was no denying it, he was so sexy. His eyes were dark, dangerous. At the same time, he was wearing a loving smile.

He must have seen her relax a bit, because his hand wandered down between her legs, making her sigh and move in pleasure while he massaged her. Sting, again, crept close; thank heavens, she was still ready.

Heartfilia did not cast a glimpse off his face. She wanted him, god, she did. Once more, he collected some of her wetness, then asked her to hold his gaze. He mumbled a warning and slowly entered her, glancing at down only once to make sure everything was okay. The woman inhaled sharply and turned her head to the side, squinting her eyes, but then looked back at the man. He whispered a few words of comfort and pressed farther inside. The unexpected relish made her gasp. Leaning ahead, Sting took her hand in his and sunk into her further, almost fitting. He was so aroused he was barely holding back. To relieve some of the tension, he growled.

"One more time, baby, and I'll let you get accustomed to me." With the last word, he slid in till the end. Lucy hummed, her breath fast. She felt unbelievably full, but it was not unpleasant. She realized her unease, her panic dissolved into nothingness once she allowed herself to trust the man. And for then, all she wanted was for him to move; she skated her nails along his muscled arms and tugged softly at his neck, trying to get him closer. Carefully, Sting laid down on her and kissed her lips, fighting with a burning need to simply devour her.

The woman kissed him back at once, much more enthusiastically than he had expected. Eucliffe picked up the pace of the caress and smooched her thoroughly. He shifted a little, forcing a moan out of her. Experimentally, Lucy adjusted her hips on the pillow and discovered she felt completely at ease with him buried deep within her. So, she hummed and tried to push against him. Sting broke the kiss and grinned, shaking his head. She frowned and deliberately squeezed her muscles; he gasped and automatically pushed into her more, forcing a pant out of her.

"Okay, okay, I'll start moving."

"Please, _do_."

Thus, Sting slid out of her slowly and filled her back with one push. She gulped, but then opened her mouth in a small huff. He thrust into her again; to her amazement, Lucy found out that her body accepted that move better than previously. She stared Sting, who was watching her closely, attentive of every single expression and reaction. He smiled at her surprise and did it again. That time, Lucy gasped from the pleasant feeling overwhelming her.

"How are you feeling?" He man asked, again coming out and in unhurriedly.

"Mm, good…"

"Can I speed up a bit, then?"

Lucy looked at her lover; he really seemed to be barely holding on. She nodded eagerly. "Yes."

Sting sighed with relief and rocked against her faster, pulling himself above her for better access and mobility. His aching erection demanded more action from him, which he was happy to provide once he made sure she was fine with it. And thank _heavens_ she was, because he was not able to hold back any longer.

In a moment of bravery, Lucy’s gaze landed where their bodies were joined and she pulsed around him. The view was too hot _not_ to react to, and Sting grunted when her walls contracted around him. She arched her back when he rotated his hips a little and sunk in her. Her hands flew on its own accord on his back and she scratched his skin to relieve some of her pleasure. Sting moaned loudly and felt his balls tighten. He lowered himself on top of her and joined their mouths in a messy kiss, growling when she wrapped her legs around him. She squealed into the kiss, in love with the newly obtained angle. The man broke the smooch and they both groaned.

“God, you're so sexy.” Uttered Sting. “I've wanted you so badly. For so fucking long…”

“I wanted you, too.” Lucy admitted in a staccato shriek, catching his hips and digging her nails into his skin.                           

“You'll fucking kill me, woman.” He grinned dirtily before he pierced her roughly. She yelped.

“Sting!”

He did not slow down. “You feel… amazing!” Sting grunted, laying down and kissing her again, at the same time bracing his weight on his left elbow so that the right hand could grope her breast.

Lucy did not answer, just cried out in ecstasy when he sped up again, reading her body perfectly. She was clutching him, the release building in her abdomen. He was so incredibly hot, so fantastically perfect. And the sex? It was amazing, but also much more carnal than she had thought. Suddenly, a thunder of pleasure pierced her and she screamed. “Shit!”

The man chuckled and deliberately led his manhood along her front wall, knowing she would love it most. As expected, Lucy’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she sobbed, quaking. She knew she was seconds from coming, and she fisted a handful of sheets from around her.

Mesmerized. He was mesmerized by her beauty and grace at that moment. Sting's hand passed on her face, brushing her hair away and gently whispering sweet but dirty things, encouraging her. He watched as she took a deep, sharp breath in and how she came undone. She called his name, much to his delight. She clenched around him impossibly; her orgasm was powerful, and he was proud to get her to the point of such a sweet climax. Sting growled and thrust into her two more times before exploding as well. His long, pained moan filled the air, and she gawked at how absolutely vulnerable, how utterly _naked_ he was then.

When the aftershocks passed fully, Sting raised his head a little. He caressed her face tenderly before he slid out and flopped beside her, out of breath. She immediately snuggled closer to him, in desperate need of proximity, something that had been denied to her before. The man instantly wrapped an arm around her protectively.

“Oh my God.” Lucy whispered, hugging him tight and trying to even her breath.

He almost stopped breathing. What if she had regrets already? Was it all too fast? Or maybe she did not like it as much as he hoped she did? “W-what?”

“You are— You're amazing.” The woman said and flushed, embarrassed. Relieved, he laughed and pulled her on his chest.

“How are you feeling? Are you okay?” Eucliffe asked her softly, skating his fingers along her arm and shoulder.

“I, I think so. Yes. Great, actually. Thank you.”

“Good, 'cause I feel the best.”

Lucy shifted a little. “Even though I did nothing?”

“You did more than you think. Believe me.”

Lucy sent him a funny look, but kissed his neck in gratitude. It was the highest she could reach right then in that position. He only chuckled again. She also smiled, then reached out and began brushing his hair, scratching his scalp. Sting purred and closed his eyes, slowly dozing off.

But Lucy was not so eager to fall asleep. She was thinking about her past and the events that had made her the person she was. And, just like that, she felt an urge to tell him everything, to confess, to share the burden with him. To let him in, allow him to understand it all… Thus, she gathered her courage and made sure to wake him enough to catch his attention.

“You know…” She began unhurriedly, facing the man. He deserved to see her while she would be revealing her biggest secret to him. He deserved to know how hard it would be, and how broken she was.

He yawned and stared back at her. “Yeah?”

“I was scared. But I'm not anymore.”

“That's good. I want you to know there's nothing to be afraid of when you're with me. I want you to trust me.” Sting smiled at her, making her head spin. He was so sweet.

“I do trust you, that's why—”

“Good.”

“Sting. You don't get it.” She furrowed her brows, which made him fall silent. “What I want to say is that I, I want to talk about what happened in my past… Why I'm so insecure and lost. Frankly, why I’m so fucked up. Well, less thanks to you, but—”

He expected anything but that. So, Eucliffe gaped at her, speechless. Full of doubts, Lucy budged and lowered her sight. Stupid, she told herself, he probably did not want to talk about it right then, when they had just made love and she was laying in bed with him.

“I— If you don't want to talk about it—”

“I'm sorry, baby.” Suddenly, Sting said. “I am flabbergasted, that's all.” He brushed her bangs to the side and gazed at her tenderly. “But if you are ready, then I will always listen to you. Always. Whatever it is.”

“R-really?”

“Of course, Lu.”

She smiled nervously and gulped. “Okay then. I really want you to know, not only be-because you should. You have every right to know all about it, especially now that we… We—”

“We slept with each other.” He finished for her, grinning.

“Yeah.”

“Just, honey, I don't want you to think that you owe me something or you need to do that because of what happened.” Sting grimaced.

Lucy laid a kiss on his chest and breathed him in. “I must tell you, because I need to. I want to have someone to talk about it… And I want that someone to be you. I'm sorry I'm putting so much on your shoulders, Sting, but I really—”

“Woah, hold it.” He interrupted and massaged her shoulder. “I told you. I'm here for you. I just don't want you to feel obliged to do it.” 

Upon hearing that, Lucy took a calming breath and kissed him on the lips, showing her affection. When she pulled away, she became serious. Finally, she sighed and said in a grave voice.

“So, as I've already told you, I was not a virgin. And no, when I had sex before, it wasn’t voluntary… In other words, yes, I, I was r-raped.”


	17. The Truth About the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The whole mystery's resolved... for now 3:)  
> Enjoy, I love you, Readers!

Lucy watched his face become dead serious, but there was not even a hint of surprise. _Of course_ he had expected it. He would have to be an idiot _not_ to catch up on that, or at least suspect that was the case. The man tightened his embrace around her as if he was scared of that she would disappear, or break down… She was not sure. Still, she snuggled closer, then cleared her throat. It did nothing to get rid of the hoarseness, which annoyed her a little. She was already exposing so much of herself, and doing it in a breaking voice would only be ten times worse.

But it was Sting. She could be vulnerable with him… Couldn’t she?

She decided to start with a matter at hand. "Your reaction is much better than I expected…"

"Not that I— I mean, it was highly probable." Sting admitted with a grimace. “But, Lucy—”

"I was different once." She whispered, silencing him. The man watched her carefully while she was speaking, ready to interrupt or react if she had any breakdown or panic attack. "Before, I was a very loud, extremely sociable, undeniably bubbly person, always encircled with friends and boys. God, imagine. I actually was both awfully popular and friendly with everyone. My squad… They were amazing. My group was just everything I had been looking for in friends. You know, we’d used to go to the same primary school, and then the secondary and high school, too. We stayed together because we wanted to, it was just so… obvious, natural. We knew each other so well. Too well in many cases." There, Lucy smiled bitterly. "Or so I thought—"

She stopped for a moment, making Sting brush his hands comfortingly along her arms. The man blinked several times, completely speechless. He could not find any words that would seem proper and, at the same time, did not want to voice anything in fear of interrupting her. It had to be so difficult to share it all, he imagined… However, she did not paused due to distress, no; once the woman started, it was getting easier to go on. To her greatest amazement, it felt purifying to actually tell him everything. Why? Well. He had been a victim of it, too, and now he could—no, he _would_ understand it all.

"Basically, we just finished second class of high school. Hurray, we were going to be juniors the following year, no more sophomores! And, naturally, that wasn’t the only thing that changed. Well, was already changing… Some of us began to differ a little since we started to have other interests and priorities. The future doctors were meeting on their own, studying and preparing themselves for the entrance exams. The guys focused on sports and had little interest in science _per se_. Only few of them dedicated themselves to Law, for instance. Therefore, Levy, one more girl, Erza, and I, the trio which didn’t choose Medicine as did the rest of the girls, became even closer, which resulted in cutting some ties with the rest. Well, not exactly, but you know how it works. You start to… be alienated. You start to lose common topics and sometimes you don’t know what to talk about." She fell silent for a second, thinking about the past and the times when everything used to be different. "Anyway, since I lost touch with a few of them, I found myself completely oblivious and blind to the fact that someone was not happy about it. At all. Apparently, two guys from our group were interested in more than friendship with me. Although right now I don't think they loved me. Well, I _know_ they did not, obviously…"

"Two…? Oh God." _That_ he had not expected; Sting clenched his jaws, tensing his muscles. Yet, Lucy just caressed his face and shifted so that she was laying flat on him, her hips just above his groin, her head on his chest where she braced her chin on the hands and stared at him.

"Shh. Listen." The woman made sure he was not going to interrupt anymore before continuing. "One day— oh, it was such a sunny day. I went out for a walk. Just a walk. I wanted to be alone for a while, but, naturally, it was impossible; in Magnolia, people just live nearby. Everyone knows everyone. Thus, I was meeting friends all the time, people I knew by sight at school… Neighbors. And so on. But I wasn’t paying much attention to them, I was just so happy to finally have summer vacations. And, at some point when I entered the park, I met one of the guys from my squad. His name was—"

There, he stopped her by pressing his index finger gently to her lips. She obediently stopped and blinked at him, waiting. "You sure you wanna reveal that to me?" Sting asked, frowning.

"Y-yes… Yes. You need to know. His name was Gray.” The woman shivered and closed her eyes, memories and anxiety flooding her. It had been a long while since she had uttered that wretched name, along with the other. Sting kept silent and only stroked her back comfortingly, patiently waiting. Soon, Lucy nodded and reopened her eyes. “He was just walking around casually, hands in the pockets, a cigarette in his teeth. He seemed so lost in thought that he didn’t see me at all." Lucy flinched and tears filled her eyes. "God, Sting. I was so stupid. Such an idiot! It was _me_ who greeted him, I waved my hand in front of his eyes so that he would stop and talk to me. He snapped out of his daydream and simply smiled—" She shivered violently. Sting only sighed and pet her head soothingly; he knew telling her it had not been her fault was pointless at the moment. Lucy turned her head to the side and stared at the wall. "I asked him if everything was fine, if he was okay. He seemed down… Gray replied that not really and maybe I could join him in his walk and then we could crash at his place to eat. He said I was the one to help him with his problem. Of course, being so naive, I said sure and we started strolling. I thought he had a problem with a girl, Juvia was her name, who was stalking him and tried to force him to go out with her—! Anyway! While we were walking, he took out his phone and exchanged a few messages with someone… Now I know with whom and why."

"Lu…"

Heartfilia budged and looked at him again. "He must have texted the second one, Natsu. They never seemed to get along, always fought with each other, it always took Erza, one of my female friends to actually separate them. She was a tough girl. I would never— never expect them to team up. And, you know, Sting, this is what hurt me most, I think… Natsu had been a friend of mine from the very beginning of me moving to Magnolia… God. We used to play in a sandbox together when we were little. He had been always protecting me and taking care of me when my family situation went downhill.” She gulped and her hands grabbed onto his shoulders tight. “Gray led me to his house. When we got there, Natsu was already there. I was about to greet him and—nothing. That was the last thing I remembered from before I woke up in a much darker room. I was on a mattress, half-naked, my members tied up."

Angry, Sting growled, hugging the girl. It was all simply fucked up. Absolutely nothing he would expect to hear happened in real life, rather as a plot of a movie or a book. And yet, his own girlfriend went through such shit… He tried to calm himself for her sake with a deep breath. Lucy buried herself in him more, breathing heavily. It was done, the introduction part already told. Now, all that was left was the main part and she felt words coming to her mind rapidly. Therefore, she began talking quickly, bombarding him with information, finding it refreshing to be able to talk about it with someone in full detail.

"I had only a bra and my panties on. There was nothing I could see two meters from the mattress, and the knots were impossible to untie. I, I was so, so scared… And then I heard voices, to male voices, arguing about something. It was just so typical for them that I recognized who it was. How could I not recognize Natsu?! Gray, too… At first, I thought it was a stupid joke, a prank, whatsoever. I yelled to them to stop playing around and release me. They fell silent. I became angry. They never replied. Just entered the room with terrifying smiles on their faces. I was still pissed, but did not suspect—I mean, I _knew_ them! I did, I did, and they knew me, and it just didn’t add up, it didn’t make any sense. None! Soon, they both approached me, both with mischievous smiles and already half naked. Those fuckers were already taking off their remaining clothes and that got me terrified for real. I tried everything: begging, yelling, crying, asking, swearing I wouldn't tell anyone, threatening them, biting and kicking, pretending to faint… _Everything_. Yet, they were determined. And prepared. There was a pile of condoms in the room which I noticed only when one of them reached for two and threw it to the other. Remember their previous argument? Soon, I found out that it was about which one goes first and where, from which side and how…"

Sting tensed even more. He both wanted to hear the rest and did not want that. He felt terrible for the lovely and broken girl on his chest whom he had learnt to love. She had been through something as terrible as that… And who had done it to her? The people she considered closest friends! Yet, he knew that he had to listen to the end. Lucy needed that and she would clearly expect it. The man tried to console her, but she only started to cry.

"They were already naked. Completely, and paraded with no shame around the room. They lifted me a little, still with tied hands and legs, and ordered me to open my mouth… When I did to yell, they pushed in and tied a piece of material around my face, between my lips so that I wouldn't scream too much. Then they laid me down again, undressed me completely, and… A-and—"

"Shh. You don't need to tell me any details." Frustrated that there was nothing he could do, Eucliffe planted a soft kiss on her lips, then another and one more. "Lucy, I—"

"They were changing sides and methods of, o-o-of doing me, telling me s-such things as: _you begged it by wearing skimpy clothes,_ or: _you were provoking me,_ or: _it's a shame it happens only now, not earlier, we could've had more fun with your sandglass body and such a rack and—_ you know." Lucy sobbed, weeping openly. "Every way… Every place… For so long… Repeating to me it was all my fault, that I wanted it, only was acting shy… Also, there were threats flying in the air: if I didn't do that, I would be punished… If I told, no one would believe me and they would go to the court and file a libel suit. If I told, I would be the one viewed as a whore. And so on. You know, maybe logically it sounds ludicrous, but in my… state, I believed every single word they said. It was going on and on. I have no idea how much time passed. Finally, at the very end, after an eternity for me, when I thought I would simply die, they decided to finish the _session_ as they were calling it by taking me at the same time, form the back and the front at once."

The woman’s voice cracked and she grew hysterical. She could not say any more at that moment, her mind going through the experience once more. A little panicky, Sting rolled on the side and brought her even closer, embracing her gently and caressing her arms and head, whispering into her ear. He would not pass any lower, because he knew it could trigger her trauma. He decided to wait it out; at least she did not have a full panic attack.

At the same time, Sting had some time to digest the information. He was… It was hard to determine what he was. He felt stunned, disgusted, horrified, appalled, unbelieving at the same time. He had not expected it all to turn that way; two at once. Her friends. Including her oldest one. How could they have done that to her? HOW?! Her friends, people she had trusted…

"Baby, I am so sorry. If there's anything I can do now… Anything. Just say a word. I would go and kill them at this very moment if it made you happy. I—"

But Lucy seemed not to hear him.

"After that, they returned once more. For another _session_. I was sore and wanted nothing more than to die. It was pure torture. But then I was just… apathic. I felt pain and nothing more. I wanted them dead. I wanted myself dead. But, of course, nothing like that happened. And you know what it the funniest in it all? They let me go. Two days later, they did. They released me and reminded me of all the terrible things that would happen if I said anything. They left the house, leaving me in the basement, naked, bloody, trembling, not moving. Hours passed, I think. I tried standing, but it was too early for that. But. As soon as I could walk, I collected some clothes ran back home. It was nighttime, and late at that. I met no one.”

Eucliffe gritted his teeth. He expected what was to come and wanted to hit something.

“Of course, I didn't tell anyone… How could I? I was so ashamed, blaming myself, the clothes I was wearing, my damn figure… I was ashamed, humiliated, shamed. It was all my fault. They told me that repeatedly. If it wasn’t, why would they do that? Why, why else? There was no other explanation. If I’d told, I would have been branded. So, I secluded myself at home for two weeks, crying and hurting and drowning more and more in my own guilt. I didn’t pick up my phone, I didn’t answer any message. I was dead to the world. But, most importantly, I couldn't go out; what if I met them, and there would be others, and—no. I simply couldn't…"

"Of course, I understand your thinking." Sting whispered softly. His eyes were full of tears, but, fortunately, she did not see it. She was crying so hard her vision was a blur and she could only talk.

"After two weeks, Levy literally broke into my house and found me in a terrible state. She panicked when she saw me, but acted professionally; she forced some water into me, it was the first thing she did. Then, she went out and bought some potatoes to make a light meal for me… It took a while before I could move, before I could and wanted to talk at all. She spent a few days with me. Finally, when I had at least some strength and willingness to at least go to the toilet, she sat me down and forced me to talk. Her arguments were falling on ears, at the beginning at least. Then, I started to hear more about help. And I simply broke. Levy learned about what had happened and went mad. But, even though I know she wanted to go and kill them, she stayed with me for a few days more and made sure I was both eating and drinking at all. Naturally, she was also trying to make sure I wouldn’t do anything to myself. I wouldn’t… I had no strength. Finally, since there wasn’t much progress, she decided to call Erza, our friend. Erza came within an hour. I had never seen her like that… She was already furious. She demanded to know who made me a wreck. After some pleading, she sat down and listened to Levy, who repeated my words since I couldn’t anymore. She considered something and disappeared… only to come back the next day with signs of fighting on her. She was also raging, yelling the cowards escaped and she would skin them alive. But I was glad, so glad they were far away. For the first time, I guess I felt a little safer. I didn’t care about anything else at that moment." Lucy sniffed. "And the girls… They were of great help. They saved me, I suppose. I wasn't in a good psychical shape. I don’t know, maybe I would’ve died of dehydration or starvation if Levy didn’t—”

"I have no doubt they helped you a lot." The man said calmly, although his insides were burning in rage. “So, they didn’t face any consequences?”

“No. I don’t know, I doubt it. The police didn’t do much, they weren’t helpful at all. I remember Erza being arrested for a day for assaulting one officer.”

“Damn.” Sting exhaled with anger. “This is fucked up. Why didn’t they act on it? You had photos, you knew the rapists, so—”

“You know, before, it was not like today. Maybe now there are consequences, but then… It was different. Many cases were simply covered up. Those that ended in the court were often dropped. It was… hard to prove anything. And, besides, they were not there anymore. No one knew where they disappeared to. And, finally, I, I can’t imagine stepping out in front of so many people and just _describing_ what happened.”

"Shit… Right. But it’s unfair.” He muttered. “I hope karma got them well.”

“If it hasn’t yet, it will.”

“But, Lu, there’s something more important. The whole case… What you went through… it was not your fault.” There, she tried to say something, but he shot her a glare and added loud: “It wasn’t your fault. Not at all! Those two, they were complete degenerates, how can you blame yourself for—"

"I can. And I do." She stated fiercely. "They told me themselves that it was me who had provoked them. They told me that! Why would they lie? After all this…”

“I don’t know, maybe because they were fucking sick?!”

“No, Sting. There had to be a reason… It had to be the way I was dressing, or that cursed body of mine—"

"Baby, there’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing.” He frowned and told her seriously. “They were looking for an excuse for what they did and it doesn’t mean a thing about you. This is not any proof that you're _guilty_ of anything. They aren’t animals who act thoughtlessly. Well… they are, but that’s not the point."

“But—”

“Is that they reason you’re always wearing oversize clothes?” He cut her off. “What happened next?”

"Yes. I started wearing baggy clothes and hiding away. Levy and Erza moved in to me and we lived together for a year. The whole sophomore year. No one understood what happened to me and why I suddenly changed that drastically… At the beginning, I couldn’t talk to people. Like, at all. I lost so many friends and I became kind of an outcast. You know, I was the creepy girl who didn’t want people to be around her and who suddenly turned into a little mouse. Only Erza and Levy, and a few others stuck at my side, although it was never the same. Until most of them found out.” Lucy closed her eyes and grimaced. “God. I hated the pity they were showing me. I know they meant well, but… Only Mira was full of compassion, but she was from a family where the parents abused the children, so she had to understand to some extent. At last, something snapped in me and I asked Levy for help. A friend of McGarden family accepted me to therapy… Evergreen seemed harsh at the beginning, but she was amazing. She even asked her friend, Rufus, to help with the therapy. I had to psychiatrists. Each of them helped me more than you can imagine. After a year of attending the meetings, I finally smiled again for the first time and could look at myself in the mirror.”

A moment of silence fell between them, and neither wanted to break it at the moment. Each of them was musing over what Lucy had said, absentmindedly stroking the other. Finally, the man budged and shifted so that he could face her.

"Lucy. Look at me."

She inhaled shakily. She was scared of what he would say. Would he tell her it was too much? Would he leave her? Was he going to tell her he was disgusted by her and he was sorry, but they would not work out? Still, despite the panic filling her heart, she nodded and slowly raised her head to look at him. Her face was wet from tears; she was still crying. Sting gulped and bit his lip to hold his emotions, yet, a tear of his own fell down his cheek. He sighed and leaned in just to kiss away any new tears from her eyes. She made a small huff and a shadow of a smile appeared on her lips. Surely, he would not do that if he were to dump her, would he? She tightened her hold on him, feeling safe and half lighter than before.

"I solemnly swear I will always protect you and never hurt you on purpose. I, I think I love you and there's nothing else in the world I want more than your happiness. Thank you for trusting in me enough to share it all with me. I am so sorry it happened to you and I'm sorry that I couldn't save you—"

"We hadn't met yet, y’know." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Which doesn't change the fact that—"

"Sting." She delicately put a finger on his lips, staring at him as if she had seen him for the first time. "Thank you. And… Do you really love me?"

Without any hesitation, the man took her hand and kissed it, stating bravely. "I love you."

Lucy gasped, then burst out crying. Unexpectedly, she smiled widely through the tears and caressed his cheek. "Sting, I love you, too."

He grinned and caressed her face; the way she made him feel was unbelievable. Sting whispered how incredible she was and smooched her gently. Lucy gave in to that kiss, pressing her whole being against him more, and hummed. She felt… fine. How come he managed to help her already? To make her feel better like that. Was it the fact that he knew her secret now? His reaction to the news? God. She felt amazingly relieved that Eucliffe was now aware of the real situation. He had deserved to know about it more than anyone, actually… She had been pushing him away for too long, using some lame excuses and never explaining why she had been acting the way she had, from cold to hot…

Abruptly, she stiffened. Upon feeling that she stopped responding, Sting pulled away and cocked a brow at her. "What?"

"The sauna!"

"Relax. We can still use it."

Lucy nodded and pushed herself up, pulling on his arm to make him follow suit. "Come on, then!"

He laughed and sat up. Satisfied, Lucy began to crawl out of the bed, but the man beat her to it. He moved in front of her just to catch her under her legs and lifted her. She squealed and entangled her arms around his neck, scared.

"Sting!"

"You wanted to go there." The man smirked down at her. "But I thought you haven't tried flying yet, so I'll make it possible for you."

Heartfilia blinked a few times, processing the information, then gazed at him with adoration. She was afraid she would cry again. "You are amazing."

"I know, right."

She rolled her eyes and snuggled closer into his chest. The nudity stopped bothering her; instead, she started to feel comfortable against him. "Modesty's not your strong point."

"But you like it." Sting observed cheekily.

"Can't deny that." Lucy smirked. "But I like many things about you."

"That's funny. I like many things about me, too." He chuckled when she smacked him playfully. "Easy, easy. I mean, about you. Maybe all of them."

"I am really grateful that you don't find me… Um, dirty or something…"

"What are you talking about, of course not." Sting frowned. "And once again I tell you, baby, it wasn't your fault. No matter what they were telling you. And what you shall believe."

He stopped and put her down right in front of the sauna. Yet, she was not prepared to let him go; Lucy entangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him down, kissing him lovingly. He did not let the occasion slip and deepened the caress with a grunt.

"Mm." Sting hummed, pulling away. He smiled at her with tenderness. She flushed and turned her head away, shy.

"Say, are you in a hurry?”

“Not at all.” He grinned. “I wanted to dedicate the whole day to you. Why?”

“Ah, never mind.” Lucy grinned back teasingly and led the man inside by his hand. She turned and tilted her head. “Take the lower one.”

Sting raised his brow at her and sat down, watching her. “And you’re not gonna come to me?”

“Not right now.” She smiled provocatively. “How fun would that be?”

“Hella better than being separated in this hot, steamy place.”

She giggled. “Just lie down.”

The man snorted but complied, closing his eyes. Lucy bit her lip, hesitating, then climbed up. On her towel, she made herself at home and rolled so that she could peek at her boyfriend through the space between the timbers of the bench. He was peacefully laying there, looking like an Adonis. She smiled widely. Was it really possible that he was hers?

Suddenly, Sting smirked widely and opened one eye.

And looked right at her.

“Maybe stop watching me from up there and come already before your eyes pop out?”

The woman blushed scarlet and chocked on her own saliva. “Y-you!”

“Lu, I’m beginning to miss you here. Some more and your eyes won’t be the only thing that fell out.”

Not able to help herself, Lucy laughed and slowly slid off her bench to sit down on his, right next to the man. Immediately, he sat up and brought her closer, much to her amusement.

So much for a peaceful sauna visit.

She sat on him and joined their mouths, kissing him with eagerness. Sting brushed her hair back and bent her head so that he could nibble on her neck. She gasped and sat comfortably on his lap, but the sweat was making her slide down from his legs all the time. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Catch me before I fall, will you?”

“I won’t let you fall.” He grunted and his hands massaged her breasts. She hummed in pleasure and her palms began their journey around his back. When she ran out of places to explore, her fingers grabbed his hair and she brought his face back to hers. He chuckled and sucked on her lip, earning a sweet moan.

All too soon, the man broke the kiss and, panting, said: “We should… stop…”

“I know. But you’re addicting.” Lucy replied hoarsely.

“Oh God.” He moaned, reacting to her words with a jerk of his cock. “You minx.”

“But you’re right. No sauna sex.” And the woman crawled off Sting, smiling cheekily.

“I’ll get you for that.” He swore and sighed heavily.

“I’ll be looking forward to that.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, she woke up and saw that Sting was not beside her—in fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, she sat up and grimaced when her muscles protested against such sudden moves. A little worried, Lucy dressed up and decided to look for him.

But he was nowhere in the apartment. Maybe he had to leave? But then, why did he not even write a note? Sighing, the woman massaged her temples and decided to take care of her everyday things for now; the situation would solve itself soon, surely. Thus, she went through the shower, cleaning her bedroom and the living room, then finally sat down to watch some TV. There was still no news on Sting.

A movie later, the woman was quite worried. She decided to call him. Lucy went to look for her cell phone and, once she found the device, unlocked it… Only to find a text from Sting there.

_Lu, I have to go for now. I’ll be back in the afternoon, so don’t miss me too much, love you._

Heartfilia laughed to herself, embarrassed. What an idiot, she should have checked the phone earlier. She had not even thought about it while Sting had definitely considered it the first thing she would do after discovering his absence. The blonde facepalmed herself for good measure before she relaxed and began thinking about her current situation.

So, now she had a boyfriend. And was involved in a regular relationship, even though she had used to be so opposed to that. Well, it kind of was a part of avoiding people everywhere, including at college, yet, even then, a stimulus came and the people simply waltzed into her life again. Lucy sighed. It was Professor Reedus who had forced her to cooperate and open up to her partner. And, as much as she wanted to hate him for it at the beginning, it was a good thing. Hell, it was amazing. Because she really loved Sting, his various sides and a little arrogant self at times. She was lucky to find such a great guy on her way, taking into consideration her past. Nevertheless… Was she able to keep it up? To be with him normally? Lucy frowned. What if she was living in the heat of the moment and she was not entirely okay with having a man? Would she become scared of him at some point?

She spat. “I’m ridiculous.” There was no reason for her to think that.

There was no way she would ever be frightened of him. Not Sting. Not after the previous day. Lucy smiled softly and closed her eyes. He touched her freely, and she had no objections. She loved it the more he did.

However… She knew she was not okay. She was better, true, but what if she got a panic attack? What would happen then? Would he be strong enough to endure her constantly changing states of mind?

Soon, her thoughts clouded a little and the woman began falling asleep.

 

* * *

 

A soft kiss woke her up. Lucy hummed in a gentle protest, not wanting to open her eyes. Yet, since the kisser bit her lower lip, she slowly forced her eyelids to separate. The woman was greeted by Sting’s smiling face, a centimeter away from her own.

“Hi, sleepy head.” He mumbled.

“Hey, handsome.” Lucy yawned and blushed. “I need time to get used to it…”

“It?” Sting raised a brow.

“That I have a hot boyfriend.” She smiled.

“Well. I can help with that, I think.” He chuckled and hugged her.

“I’m glad you’re back.” Heartfilia whispered, nested in his embrace.

“Me, too. Did you sleep well?”

“Like never before.” She giggled.

“No wonder.” Sting hummed and pulled back. “Did you eat lunch?”

“N-no. Why?”

“Because, my pretty lady,” The man gazed into her eyes and said seriously. “I want to take you out… On a proper date.”


End file.
